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Vulnerability: MS08-044. Multiple vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office filters could allow arbitrary code execution.
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| Details | |
|---|---|
| Vulnerability name/brief description | MS08-044. Multiple vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office filters could allow arbitrary code execution. |
| CVE/CAN name | CVE-2008-3019, CVE-2008-3018, CVE-2008-3021, CVE-2008-3020, CVE-2008-3460 |
| Vendor threat level | Critical |
| SophosLabs threat level | Medium |
| Solution | |
| Vendor description | This security update resolves five privately reported vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user viewed a specially crafted image file using Microsoft Office. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights. |
| SophosLabs comments | Although there are five distinct vulnerabilities addressed as part of this patch the information that users need to be aware of is that image files of type EPS, PICT, BMP and WPG can be malformed to execute arbitrary code. The malicious file would need to be opened directly in order for the attack to be successful and it would require a vulnerable version of the Office suite (see below) to process the image. A malicious image file being inserted into an office document could also be successful. Attacks leveraging these vulnerabilities may include malicious files being sent as email attachments or being hosted on compromised web pages. Given the popularity of the affected software it is a possibility that attackers may try to exploit these vulnerabilities although currently we have yet to see any samples and are unsure how consistently reproducible such exploits could be. The fact that Microsoft has already issued a patch for these vulnerabilities means that customers already have a source of protection against these attacks available to them and for these reasons SophosLabs has assigned these vulnerabilities a threat level of medium. |
| SophosLabs testing result | N/A |
| Currently known exploits | At the time of writing SophosLabs has seen no samples of malware attempting to exploit this vulnerability. Should this situation change samples will be analysed and the necessary action will be taken. |
| First sample seen | N/A |
| Discovery date | 12 August 2008 |
| Affected software | Microsoft Office 2000 Service Pack 3 |
| References | http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS08-044.mspx |
| Credits | N/A |
| Revisions | 13 August 2008 - published advisory |
Explanation of terms
Vulnerability Name/Brief Description:
Vendor identifier plus a brief description of the type of attack.
CVE/CAN Name:
Currently assigned CVE name. If a CVE name doesn't exist the CAN name will be used until a CVE has been assigned.
Vendor Threat Level:
Threat level assigned by the vendor
SophosLabs Threat Level:
Threat level assigned by SophosLabs
- LOW RISK - There is little chance of this vulnerability being actively exploited by malware.
- MEDIUM RISK - There is a possibility of this vulnerability being actively exploited by malware.
- HIGH RISK - There is a strong possibility of this vulnerability being actively exploited by malware.
- CRITICAL RISK - This vulnerability will almost certainly be actively exploited by malware.
Solution:
Vendor-supplied Patch identifier and recommended solution, or workaround if applicable.
Vendor Description:
Summary of the cause and potential effect of the vulnerability provided by the vendor.
SophosLabs Comments:
SophosLabs' opinions and observations of the vulnerability in question.
SophosLabs Testing Result:
Details of completed lab testing, if applicable. Please note that the lab test environment may differ significantly from user environments.
Currently Known Exploits:
List of identities for known exploits, if applicable.
First Sample Seen:
Date of the first sample seen by SophosLabs.
Discovery Date:
Date of the earliest known publically disclosed advisory.
Affected Software:
Vulnerable platforms and software versions.
If you need more information or guidance, then please contact technical support.
- Article ID: 43654
- Created: 13 Aug 2008
- Last updated: 21 Oct 2008
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