Vulnerability: MS08-074. Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office Excel Could Allow Remote Code Execution (959070)
Back to Latest vulnerabilities homepage
Click any highlighted term for further explanation.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Vulnerability name/brief description | Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office Excel Could Allow Remote Code Execution (959070) - MS08-074 |
| CVE/CAN name | CVE-2008-4265, CVE-2008-4264, CVE-2008-4266 |
| Vendor threat level | Critical |
| SophosLabs threat level | High |
| Solution | Users are advised to apply the vendor patch for MS08-072 as soon as possible. |
| Vendor description | This security update resolves three privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office Excel that could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted Excel file. An attacker who successfully exploited these vulnerabilities could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. 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 | The patched vulnerabilities may result in remote code execution. They can be exploited by enticing the user to open specially crafted malformed Excel spreadsheet. The vulnerability has been assigned a high threat level. |
| 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 we will take action as necessary. |
| First sample seen | N/A |
| Discovery date | 9 December 2008 |
| Affected software | Microsoft Office Excel 2000 Microsoft Office Excel 2002 Microsoft Office Excel 2003 Microsoft Office Excel Viewer 2003 Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack Microsoft Office Excel Viewer Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Open XML File Format Converter for Mac |
| References | http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/ms08-074.mspx |
| Credits | |
| Revisions | 10 December 2008 - initial analysis written |
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: 50259
- Created: 10 Dec 2008
- Last updated: 22 Jan 2009
