Microsoft Security Bulletin MS10-056 - Critical
Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office Word Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2269638)
Published: | Updated:
Version: 1.3
General Information
Executive Summary
This security update resolves four privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office. The most severe vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user opens or previews a specially crafted RTF e-mail message. An attacker who successfully exploited any of these vulnerabilities could gain the same user rights as the local user. 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.
This security update is rated Critical for all supported editions of Microsoft Office Word 2007. This security update is also rated Important for all supported editions of Microsoft Office Word 2002, Microsoft Office Word 2003, Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac, and Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac; Open XML File Format Converter for Mac; Works 9; and all supported versions of Microsoft Office Word Viewer and Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack. For more information, see the subsection, Affected and Non-Affected Software, in this section.
The update addresses the vulnerabilities by modifying the way that Microsoft Office Word opens specially crafted Word files and by modifying the way that Word handles certain properties of rich text data. For more information about the vulnerability, see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) subsection for the specific vulnerability entry under the next section, Vulnerability Information.
Recommendation. Microsoft recommends that customers apply the update immediately.
Known Issues. Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2269638 documents the currently known issues that customers may experience when installing this security update. The article also documents recommended solutions for these issues.
Affected and Non-Affected Software
The following software have been tested to determine which versions or editions are affected. Other versions or editions are either past their support life cycle or are not affected. To determine the support life cycle for your software version or edition, visit Microsoft Support Lifecycle.
Affected Software
| Office Suite and Other Software | Component | Maximum Security Impact | Aggregate Severity Rating | Bulletins Replaced by this Update |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Office Suites and Components | ||||
| Microsoft Office XP Service Pack 3 | Microsoft Office Word 2002 Service Pack 3 (KB2251389) | Remote Code Execution | Important | MS09-068 |
| Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3 | Microsoft Office Word 2003 Service Pack 3 (KB2251399) | Remote Code Execution | Important | MS10-036 |
| 2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 2 | Microsoft Office Word 2007 Service Pack 2[1] (KB2251419) | Remote Code Execution | Critical | MS10-036 |
| Microsoft Office for Mac | ||||
| Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac (KB2284171) | Not applicable | Remote Code Execution | Important | MS09-068 |
| Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac (KB2284162) | Not applicable | Remote Code Execution | Important | MS09-068 |
| Open XML File Format Converter for Mac (KB2284179) | Not applicable | Remote Code Execution | Important | MS09-068 |
| Other Software | ||||
| Microsoft Office Word Viewer (KB2251437) | Not applicable | Remote Code Execution | Important | MS09-068 |
| Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats Service Pack 2 (KB2277947) | Not applicable | Remote Code Execution | Important | MS09-027 |
| Microsoft Works 9 (KB2092914) | Not applicable | Remote Code Execution | Important | None |
[1]For Microsoft Office Word 2007 Service Pack 2, in addition to security update package KB2251419, customers also need to install the security update for Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats Service Pack 2 (KB2277947) to be protected from the vulnerabilities described in this bulletin.
Non-Affected Software
| Office and Other Software |
|---|
| Microsoft Office Word 2010 (32-bit editions) |
| Microsoft Office Word 2010 (64-bit editions) |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Related to This Security Update
How is Microsoft Office Outlook affected by these vulnerabilities?
Outlook is not directly affected because the vulnerabilities exist in Microsoft Office Word. However, if Word is the selected e-mail reader, which is the default case in Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, then an attacker could leverage Outlook for the e-mail attack vector by sending a specially crafted RTF e-mail message to the target user.
Where are the file information details?
Refer to the reference tables in the Security Update Deployment section for the location of the file information details.
Why does this update address several reported security vulnerabilities?
This update contains support for several vulnerabilities because the modifications that are required to address these issues are located in related files. Instead of having to install several updates that are almost the same, customers need to install this update only.
What is the Microsoft Office Word Viewer?
The Microsoft Office Word Viewer is a replacement for Word Viewer 2003 and all previous Word Viewer versions. With Word Viewer, you can view, print, and copy Word documents, even if you do not have Word installed. For more details about currently supported Office viewers, see Supported versions of the Office viewers.
How are Office standalone programs affected by the vulnerability?
An Office standalone program is affected with the same severity rating as the corresponding component in an Office Suite. For example, a standalone installation of Microsoft Office Word is affected with the same severity rating as an installation of Microsoft Office Word that was delivered with an Office Suite.
The Office component discussed in this article is part of the Office Suite that I have installed on my system; however, I did not choose to install this specific component. Will I be offered this update?
Yes, if the component discussed in this bulletin was delivered with the version of the Office Suite installed on your system, the system will be offered updates for it whether the component is installed or not. The detection logic used to scan for affected systems is designed to check for updates for all components that were delivered with the particular Office Suite and to offer the updates to a system. Users who choose not to apply an update for a component that is not installed, but is delivered with their version of the Office Suite, will not increase the security risk of that system. On the other hand, users who do choose to install the update will not have a negative impact on the security or performance of a system.
Does the offer to update a non-vulnerable version of Microsoft Office constitute an issue in the Microsoft update mechanism?
No, the update mechanism is functioning correctly in that it detects a lower version of the files on the system than in the update package and thus, offers the update.
I am using an older release of the software discussed in this security bulletin. What should I do?
The affected software listed in this bulletin have been tested to determine which releases are affected. Other releases are past their support life cycle. For more information about the product lifecycle, visit the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Web site.
It should be a priority for customers who have older releases of the software to migrate to supported releases to prevent potential exposure to vulnerabilities. To determine the support lifecycle for your software release, see Select a Product for Lifecycle Information. For more information about service packs for these software releases, see Lifecycle Supported Service Packs.
Customers who require custom support for older software must contact their Microsoft account team representative, their Technical Account Manager, or the appropriate Microsoft partner representative for custom support options. Customers without an Alliance, Premier, or Authorized Contract can contact their local Microsoft sales office. For contact information, visit the Microsoft Worldwide Information Web site, select the country in the Contact Information list, and then click Go to see a list of telephone numbers. When you call, ask to speak with the local Premier Support sales manager. For more information, see the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Policy FAQ.
Vulnerability Information
Severity Ratings and Vulnerability Identifiers
The following severity ratings assume the potential maximum impact of the vulnerability. For information regarding the likelihood, within 30 days of this security bulletin's release, of the exploitability of the vulnerability in relation to its severity rating and security impact, please see the Exploitability Index in the August bulletin summary. For more information, see Microsoft Exploitability Index.
| Affected Software | Word Record Parsing Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1900 | Word RTF Parsing Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1901 | Word RTF Parsing Buffer Overflow Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1902 | Word HTML Linked Objects Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1903 | Aggregate Severity Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Office Suites and Components | |||||
| Microsoft Office Word 2002 Service Pack 3 | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important |
| Microsoft Office Word 2003 Service Pack 3 | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important |
| Microsoft Office Word 2007 Service Pack 2 | Important Remote Code Execution | Critical Remote Code Execution | Critical Remote Code Execution | Not applicable | Critical |
| Microsoft Office for Mac | |||||
| Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Not applicable | Important |
| Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Not applicable | Important |
| Open XML File Format Converter for Mac | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Not applicable | Important |
| Other Software | |||||
| Microsoft Office Word Viewer | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important |
| Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats Service Pack 2 | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Not applicable | Important |
| Microsoft Works 9 | Important Remote Code Execution | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Important |
Word Record Parsing Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1900
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Office Word handles malformed records inside a specially crafted Word file. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability 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.
To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2010-1900.
Mitigating Factors for Word Record Parsing Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1900
Mitigation refers to a setting, common configuration, or general best-practice, existing in a default state, that could reduce the severity of exploitation of a vulnerability. The following mitigating factors may be helpful in your situation:
- The vulnerability cannot be exploited automatically through e-mail. For an attack to be successful, a user must open an attachment that is sent in an e-mail message.
- An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user. 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.
- In a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a Web site that contains a Web page that is used to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised Web sites and Web sites that accept or host user-provided content or advertisements could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. In all cases, however, an attacker would have no way to force users to visit these Web sites. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link in an e-mail message or Instant Messenger message that takes users to the attacker’s Web site, and then convince them to open the specially crafted Word file.
Workarounds for Word Record Parsing Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1900
Workaround refers to a setting or configuration change that does not correct the underlying vulnerability but would help block known attack vectors before you apply the update. Microsoft has tested the following workarounds and states in the discussion whether a workaround reduces functionality:
- Use Microsoft Office File Block policy to block the opening of Office 2003 and earlier documents from unknown or untrusted sources and locations
The following registry scripts can be used to set the File Block policy.
Note Modifying the Registry incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from incorrect modification of the Registry can be solved. Modify the Registry at your own risk.
- For Office 2003
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000001
Note In order to use 'FileOpenBlock' with Microsoft Office 2003, all of the latest security updates for Microsoft Office 2003 must be applied. - For 2007 Office system
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Word\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000001
Note In order to use 'FileOpenBlock' with the 2007 Microsoft Office system, all of the latest security updates for the 2007 Microsoft Office system must be applied.
Impact of workaround. Users who have configured the File Block policy and have not configured a special "exempt directory" as discussed in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 922848 will be unable to open Office 2003 files or earlier versions in Office 2003 or 2007 Microsoft Office System.
How to undo the workaround.
- For Office 2003
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000000 - For 2007 Office system
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Word\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000000
- For Office 2003
- Use the Microsoft Office Isolated Conversion Environment (MOICE) when opening files from unknown or untrusted sources
The Microsoft Office Isolated Conversion Environment (MOICE) helps protect Office 2003 installations by more securely opening Word, Excel, and PowerPoint binary format files.
To install MOICE, you must have Office 2003 or 2007 Office system installed.
To install MOICE, you must also have the Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats. The compatibility pack is available as a free download from the Microsoft Download Center:
Download the FileFormatConverters.exe package now
MOICE requires all updates that are recommended for all Office programs. Visit Microsoft Update to install all recommended updates:
http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us
Enable MOICE
Note See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 935865 to use the automated Microsoft Fix it solution to enable or disable this workaround.
To manually enable MOICE, run the commands as specified in the following table. Running the commands will associate the Office application extensions with MOICE.
| Command to enable MOICE to be the registered handler |
|---|
| For Word, run the following command from a command prompt: ASSOC .doc=oice.word.document |
| For Excel, run the following commands from a command prompt: ASSOC .XLS=oice.excel.sheet ASSOC .XLT=oice.excel.template ASSOC .XLA=oice.excel.addin |
| For PowerPoint, run the following commands from a command prompt: ASSOC .PPT=oice.powerpoint.show ASSOC .POT=oice.powerpoint.template ASSOC .PPS=oice.powerpoint.slideshow |
Note On Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2, run the above commands from an elevated command prompt.
For more information on MOICE, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 935865.
Impact of workaround. Office 2003 and earlier formatted documents that are converted to the 2007 Microsoft Office System Open XML format by MOICE will not retain macro functionality. Additionally, documents with passwords or that are protected with Digital Rights Management cannot be converted.
How to undo the workaround. Run the commands to disable MOICE as specified in the table below.
| Command to disable MOICE as the registered handler |
|---|
| For Word, run the following command from a command prompt: ASSOC .doc=Word.Document.8 |
| For Excel, run the following commands from a command prompt: ASSOC .xls=Excel.Sheet.8 ASSOC .xlt=Excel.Template ASSOC .xla=Excel.Addin |
| For PowerPoint, run the following commands from a command prompt: ASSOC .ppt=PowerPoint.Show.8 ASSOC .PPS=oice.powerpoint.slideshow ASSOC .pps=PowerPoint.SlideShow.8 |
Note On Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2, run the above commands from an elevated command prompt.
- Do not open Word files that you receive from untrusted sources or that you receive unexpectedly from trusted sources
Do not open Word files that you receive from untrusted sources or that you receive unexpectedly from trusted sources. This vulnerability could be exploited when a user opens a specially crafted file.
FAQ for Word Record Parsing Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1900
What is the scope of the vulnerability?
This is a remote code execution vulnerability. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system remotely. An attacker could then install programs or view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.
What causes the vulnerability?
When Microsoft Office Word opens a specially crafted Word file, it may corrupt system memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code.
What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do?
An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code as the logged-on user. If a user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker could take complete control of the 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.
How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability?
This vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted Word file with an affected version of Microsoft Office Word.
In an e-mail attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted Word document to the user and by convincing the user to open the file.
In a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker would have to host a Web site that contains a Word file that is used to attempt to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised Web sites and Web sites that accept or host user-provided content could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit a specially crafted Web site. Instead, an attacker would have to convince them to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link that takes them to the attacker's site, and then convince them to open the specially crafted Word file.
What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Systems where Microsoft Office Word is used, including workstations and terminal servers, are primarily at risk. Servers could be at more risk if administrators allow users to log on to servers and to run programs. However, best practices strongly discourage allowing this.
What does the update do?
This update addresses the vulnerability by modifying the way that Microsoft Office Word opens specially crafted Word files.
When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed?
No. Microsoft received information about this vulnerability through coordinated vulnerability disclosure.
When this security bulletin was issued, had Microsoft received any reports that this vulnerability was being exploited?
No. Microsoft had not received any information to indicate that this vulnerability had been publicly used to attack customers when this security bulletin was originally issued.
Word RTF Parsing Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1901
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Office Word parses rich text data. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user. 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.
To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2010-1901.
Mitigating Factors for Word RTF Parsing Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1901
Mitigation refers to a setting, common configuration, or general best-practice, existing in a default state, that could reduce the severity of exploitation of a vulnerability. The following mitigating factors may be helpful in your situation
- An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user. 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.
Workarounds for Word RTF Parsing Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1901
Workaround refers to a setting or configuration change that does not correct the underlying vulnerability but would help block known attack vectors before you apply the update. Microsoft has tested the following workarounds and states in the discussion whether a workaround reduces functionality:
- Read e-mails in plain text
To help protect yourself from the e-mail attack vector, read e-mail messages in plain text format.
Microsoft Office Outlook 2002 users who have applied Office XP Service Pack 1 or a later version and Microsoft Office Outlook Express 6 users who have applied Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 or a later version can enable this setting and view in plain text only those e-mail messages that are not digitally signed or e-mail messages that are not encrypted.
Digitally signed e-mail messages or encrypted e-mail messages are not affected by the setting and may be read in their original formats. For more information about how to enable this setting in Outlook 2002, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 307594.
For information about this setting in Outlook Express 6, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 291387.
Impact of workaround. E-mail messages that are viewed in plain text format will not contain pictures, specialized fonts, animations, or other rich content. Additionally:
- The changes are applied to the preview pane and to open messages.
- Pictures become attachments so that they are not lost.
- Because the message is still in Rich Text or HTML format in the store, the object model (custom code solutions) may behave unexpectedly.
- Use Microsoft Office File Block policy to block the opening of RTF documents from unknown or untrusted sources and locations
The following registry scripts can be used to set the File Block policy.
Note Modifying the Registry incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from incorrect modification of the Registry can be solved. Modify the Registry at your own risk.
- For Office 2003
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"RtfFiles"=dword:00000001
Note In order to use 'FileOpenBlock' with Microsoft Office 2003, all of the latest security updates for Microsoft Office 2003 must be applied. - For 2007 Office system
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Word\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"RtfFiles"=dword:00000001
Note In order to use 'FileOpenBlock' with the 2007 Microsoft Office system, all of the latest security updates for the 2007 Microsoft Office system must be applied.
Impact of workaround. Users who have configured the File Block policy and have not configured a special "exempt directory" as discussed in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 922848 will be unable to open Office 2003 files or earlier versions in Office 2003 or 2007 Microsoft Office System.
How to undo the workaround.
- For Office 2003
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"RtfFiles"=dword:00000000 - For 2007 Office system
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Word\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"RtfFiles"=dword:00000000
- For Office 2003
FAQ for Word RTF Parsing Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1901
What is the scope of the vulnerability?
This is a remote code execution vulnerability. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system remotely. An attacker could then install programs or view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.
What causes the vulnerability?
Microsoft Office Word does not perform sufficient data validation when handling rich text data. When Word opens and parses a specially crafted RTF e-mail message or file, it may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code.
What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do?
An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause arbitrary code to run with the privileges of the user who opens a specially crafted RTF file or previews or opens a specially crafted RTF e-mail message. If the user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability 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.
How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability?
In an e-mail attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially-crafted RTF file as an attachment or in the contents of an e-mail message and convincing the user to view the specially crafted RTF e-mail message in Outlook when using Word as the e-mail viewer.
In a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker would have to host a Web site that contains a Word file that is used to attempt to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised Web sites and Web sites that accept or host user-provided content could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit a specially crafted Web site. Instead, an attacker would have to persuade them to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link that takes them to the attacker's site.
What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Workstations and terminal servers that have Microsoft Office Word installed are primarily at risk. Servers could be at more risk if administrators allow users to log on to servers and to run programs. However, best practices strongly discourage allowing this.
What does the update do?
The update addresses the vulnerability by modifying the way that Word handles certain properties of rich text data.
When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed?
No. Microsoft received information about this vulnerability through coordinated vulnerability disclosure.
When this security bulletin was issued, had Microsoft received any reports that this vulnerability was being exploited?
No. Microsoft had not received any information to indicate that this vulnerability had been publicly used to attack customers when this security bulletin was originally issued.
Word RTF Parsing Buffer Overflow Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1902
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Office Word parses certain rich text data. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user. 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.
To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2010-1902.
Mitigating Factors for Word RTF Parsing Buffer Overflow Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1902
Mitigation refers to a setting, common configuration, or general best-practice, existing in a default state, that could reduce the severity of exploitation of a vulnerability. The following mitigating factors may be helpful in your situation:
- An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user. 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.
Workarounds for Word RTF Parsing Buffer Overflow Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1902
Workaround refers to a setting or configuration change that does not correct the underlying vulnerability but would help block known attack vectors before you apply the update. Microsoft has tested the following workarounds and states in the discussion whether a workaround reduces functionality:
- Read e-mails in plain text
To help protect yourself from the e-mail attack vector, read e-mail messages in plain text format.
Microsoft Office Outlook 2002 users who have applied Office XP Service Pack 1 or a later version and Microsoft Office Outlook Express 6 users who have applied Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 or a later version can enable this setting and view in plain text only those e-mail messages that are not digitally signed or e-mail messages that are not encrypted.
Digitally signed e-mail messages or encrypted e-mail messages are not affected by the setting and may be read in their original formats. For more information about how to enable this setting in Outlook 2002, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 307594.
For information about this setting in Outlook Express 6, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 291387.
Impact of workaround. E-mail messages that are viewed in plain text format will not contain pictures, specialized fonts, animations, or other rich content. Additionally:
- The changes are applied to the preview pane and to open messages.
- Pictures become attachments so that they are not lost.
- Because the message is still in Rich Text or HTML format in the store, the object model (custom code solutions) may behave unexpectedly.
- Use Microsoft Office File Block policy to block the opening of RTF documents from unknown or untrusted sources and locations
The following registry scripts can be used to set the File Block policy.
Note Modifying the Registry incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from incorrect modification of the Registry can be solved. Modify the Registry at your own risk.
- For Office 2003
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"RtfFiles"=dword:00000001
Note In order to use 'FileOpenBlock' with Microsoft Office 2003, all of the latest security updates for Microsoft Office 2003 must be applied. - For 2007 Office system
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Word\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"RtfFiles"=dword:00000001
Note In order to use 'FileOpenBlock' with the 2007 Microsoft Office system, all of the latest security updates for the 2007 Microsoft Office system must be applied.
Impact of workaround. Users who have configured the File Block policy and have not configured a special "exempt directory" as discussed in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 922848 will be unable to open Office 2003 files or earlier versions in Office 2003 or 2007 Microsoft Office System.
How to undo the workaround.
- For Office 2003
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"RtfFiles"=dword:00000000 - For 2007 Office system
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Word\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"RtfFiles"=dword:00000000
- For Office 2003
FAQ for Word RTF Parsing Buffer Overflow Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1902
What is the scope of the vulnerability?
This is a remote code execution vulnerability. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system remotely. An attacker could then install programs or view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.
What causes the vulnerability?
Microsoft Office Word does not perform sufficient data validation when handling rich text data. When Word opens and parses a specially crafted e-mail message or file, it may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code.
What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do?
An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause arbitrary code to run with the privileges of the user who opens a specially crafted RTF file or previews or opens a specially crafted RTF e-mail message. If the user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability 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.
How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability?
In an e-mail attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially-crafted RTF file as an attachment or in the contents of an e-mail message and convincing the user to view the specially crafted RTF e-mail message in Outlook when using Word as the e-mail viewer.
In a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker would have to host a Web site that contains a Word file that is used to attempt to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised Web sites and Web sites that accept or host user-provided content could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit a specially crafted Web site. Instead, an attacker would have to persuade them to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link that takes them to the attacker's site.
What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Workstations and terminal servers that have Microsoft Office Word installed are primarily at risk. Servers could be at more risk if administrators allow users to log on to servers and to run programs. However, best practices strongly discourage allowing this.
What does the update do?
The update addresses the vulnerability by modifying the way that Word handles certain properties of rich text data.
When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed?
No. Microsoft received information about this vulnerability through coordinated vulnerability disclosure.
When this security bulletin was issued, had Microsoft received any reports that this vulnerability was being exploited?
No. Microsoft had not received any information to indicate that this vulnerability had been publicly used to attack customers when this security bulletin was originally issued.
Word HTML Linked Objects Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1903
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Office Word handles a specially crafted Word file that includes a malformed record. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability 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.
To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2010-1903.
Mitigating Factors for Word HTML Linked Objects Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1903
Mitigation refers to a setting, common configuration, or general best-practice, existing in a default state, that could reduce the severity of exploitation of a vulnerability. The following mitigating factors may be helpful in your situation:
- The vulnerability cannot be exploited automatically through e-mail. For an attack to be successful a user must open an attachment that is sent in an e-mail message.
- An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user. 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.
- In a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a Web site that contains a Web page that is used to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised Web sites and Web sites that accept or host user-provided content or advertisements could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. In all cases, however, an attacker would have no way to force users to visit these Web sites. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link in an e-mail message or Instant Messenger message that takes users to the attacker’s Web site, and then convince them to open the specially crafted Word file.
Workarounds for Word HTML Linked Objects Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1903
Workaround refers to a setting or configuration change that does not correct the underlying vulnerability but would help block known attack vectors before you apply the update. Microsoft has tested the following workarounds and states in the discussion whether a workaround reduces functionality:
- Use Microsoft Office File Block policy to block the opening of Office 2003 and earlier documents from unknown or untrusted sources and locations
The following registry scripts can be used to set the File Block policy.
Note Modifying the Registry incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from incorrect modification of the Registry can be solved. Modify the Registry at your own risk.
- For Office 2003
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000001
Note In order to use 'FileOpenBlock' with Microsoft Office 2003, all of the latest security updates for Microsoft Office 2003 must be applied. - For 2007 Office system
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Word\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000001
Note In order to use 'FileOpenBlock' with the 2007 Microsoft Office system, all of the latest security updates for the 2007 Microsoft Office system must be applied.
Impact of workaround. Users who have configured the File Block policy and have not configured a special "exempt directory" as discussed in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 922848 will be unable to open Office 2003 files or earlier versions in Office 2003 or 2007 Microsoft Office System.
How to undo the workaround.
- For Office 2003
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000000 - For 2007 Office system
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Word\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000000
- For Office 2003
- Use the Microsoft Office Isolated Conversion Environment (MOICE) when opening files from unknown or untrusted sources
The Microsoft Office Isolated Conversion Environment (MOICE) helps protect Office 2003 installations by more securely opening Word, Excel, and PowerPoint binary format files.
To install MOICE, you must have Office 2003 or 2007 Office system installed.
To install MOICE, you must also have the Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats. The compatibility pack is available as a free download from the Microsoft Download Center:
Download the FileFormatConverters.exe package now
MOICE requires all updates that are recommended for all Office programs. Visit Microsoft Update to install all recommended updates:
http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us
Enable MOICE
Note See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 935865 to use the automated Microsoft Fix it solution to enable or disable this workaround.
To manually enable MOICE, run the commands as specified in the following table. Running the commands will associate the Office application extensions with MOICE.
| Command to enable MOICE to be the registered handler |
|---|
| For Word, run the following command from a command prompt: ASSOC .doc=oice.word.document |
| For Excel, run the following commands from a command prompt: ASSOC .XLS=oice.excel.sheet ASSOC .XLT=oice.excel.template ASSOC .XLA=oice.excel.addin |
| For PowerPoint, run the following commands from a command prompt: ASSOC .PPT=oice.powerpoint.show ASSOC .POT=oice.powerpoint.template ASSOC .PPS=oice.powerpoint.slideshow |
Note On Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2, run the above commands from an elevated command prompt.
For more information on MOICE, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 935865.
Impact of workaround. Office 2003 and earlier formatted documents that are converted to the 2007 Microsoft Office System Open XML format by MOICE will not retain macro functionality. Additionally, documents with passwords or that are protected with Digital Rights Management cannot be converted.
How to undo the workaround. Run the commands to disable MOICE as specified in the table below.
| Command to disable MOICE as the registered handler |
|---|
| For Word, run the following command from a command prompt: ASSOC .doc=Word.Document.8 |
| For Excel, run the following commands from a command prompt: ASSOC .xls=Excel.Sheet.8 ASSOC .xlt=Excel.Template ASSOC .xla=Excel.Addin |
| For PowerPoint, run the following commands from a command prompt: ASSOC .ppt=PowerPoint.Show.8 ASSOC .PPS=oice.powerpoint.slideshow ASSOC .pps=PowerPoint.SlideShow.8 |
Note On Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2, run the above commands from an elevated command prompt.
- Do not open Word files that you receive from untrusted sources or that you receive unexpectedly from trusted sources
Do not open Word files that you receive from untrusted sources or that you receive unexpectedly from trusted sources. This vulnerability could be exploited when a user opens a specially crafted file.
FAQ for Word HTML Linked Objects Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1903
What is the scope of the vulnerability?
This is a remote code execution vulnerability. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system remotely. An attacker could then install programs or view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.
What causes the vulnerability?
When Microsoft Office Word opens a specially crafted Word file, it may corrupt system memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code.
What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do?
An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code as the logged-on user. If a user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker could take complete control of the 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.
How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability?
This vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted Word file with an affected version of Microsoft Office Word.
In an e-mail attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted Word document to the user and by convincing the user to open the file.
In a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker would have to host a Web site that contains an Office file that is used to attempt to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised Web sites and Web sites that accept or host user-provided content could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit a specially crafted Web site. Instead, an attacker would have to convince them to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link that takes them to the attacker's site, and then convince them to open the specially crafted Word file.
What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Systems where Microsoft Office Word is used, including workstations and terminal servers, are primarily at risk. Servers could be at more risk if administrators allow users to log on to servers and to run programs. However, best practices strongly discourage allowing this.
What does the update do?
This update addresses the vulnerability by modifying the way that Microsoft Office Word opens specially crafted Word files.
When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed?
No. Microsoft received information about this vulnerability through coordinated vulnerability disclosure.
When this security bulletin was issued, had Microsoft received any reports that this vulnerability was being exploited?
No. Microsoft had not received any information to indicate that this vulnerability had been publicly used to attack customers when this security bulletin was originally issued.
Update Information
Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance
Manage the software and security updates you need to deploy to the servers, desktop, and mobile systems in your organization. For more information see the TechNet Update Management Center. The Microsoft TechNet Security Web site provides additional information about security in Microsoft products.
Security updates are available from Microsoft Update and Windows Update. Security updates are also available from the Microsoft Download Center. You can find them most easily by doing a keyword search for "security update."
Finally, security updates can be downloaded from the Microsoft Update Catalog. The Microsoft Update Catalog provides a searchable catalog of content made available through Windows Update and Microsoft Update, including security updates, drivers and service packs. By searching using the security bulletin number (such as, "MS07-036"), you can add all of the applicable updates to your basket (including different languages for an update), and download to the folder of your choosing. For more information about the Microsoft Update Catalog, see the Microsoft Update Catalog FAQ.
Note Microsoft discontinued support for Office Update and the Office Update Inventory Tool as of August 1, 2009. To continue getting the latest updates for Microsoft Office products, use Microsoft Update. For more information, see About Microsoft Office Update: Frequently Asked Questions.
Detection and Deployment Guidance
Microsoft provides detection and deployment guidance for security updates. This guidance contains recommendations and information that can help IT professionals understand how to use various tools for detection and deployment of security updates. For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 961747.
Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) allows administrators to scan local and remote systems for missing security updates as well as common security misconfigurations. For more information about MBSA, visit Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer.
The following table provides the MBSA detection summary for this security update.
| Software | MBSA 2.1.1 |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Office XP Service Pack 3 | Yes |
| Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3 | Yes |
| 2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 2 | Yes |
| Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac | No |
| Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac | No |
| Open XML File Format Converter for Mac | No |
| Microsoft Office Word Viewer | Yes |
| Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats Service Pack 2 | Yes |
| Microsoft Works 9 | Yes |
The latest version of MBSA has been released: Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer 2.1.1. For more information, see Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer 2.1.
Note For customers using legacy software not supported by MBSA 2.1.1, Microsoft Update, and Windows Server Update Services: please visit Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer and reference the Legacy Product Support section on how to create comprehensive security update detection with legacy tools.
Windows Server Update Services
Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) enables information technology administrators to deploy the latest Microsoft product updates to computers that are running the Windows operating system. For more information about how to deploy this security update using Windows Server Update Services, see the TechNet article, Windows Server Update Services.
Systems Management Server
The following table provides the SMS detection and deployment summary for this security update.
| Software | SMS 2.0 | SMS 2003 with SUIT | SMS 2003 with ITMU | Configuration Manager 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Office XP Service Pack 3 | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3 | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| 2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 2 | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac | No | No | No | No |
| Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac | No | No | No | No |
| Open XML File Format Converter for Mac | No | No | No | No |
| Microsoft Office Word Viewer | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats Service Pack 2 | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Works 9 | No | No | Yes | Yes |
For SMS 2.0 and SMS 2003, the Security Update Inventory Tool (SUIT) can be used by SMS to detect security updates. See also Downloads for Systems Management Server 2.0.
For SMS 2003, the SMS 2003 Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates (ITMU) can be used by SMS to detect security updates that are offered by Microsoft Update and that are supported by Windows Server Update Services. For more information about the SMS 2003 ITMU, see SMS 2003 Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates. For more information about SMS scanning tools, see SMS 2003 Software Update Scanning Tools. See also Downloads for Systems Management Server 2003.
System Center Configuration Manager 2007 uses WSUS 3.0 for detection of updates. For more information about Configuration Manager 2007 Software Update Management, visit System Center Configuration Manager 2007.
For more information about SMS, visit the SMS Web site.
For more detailed information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 910723: Summary list of monthly detection and deployment guidance articles.
Note If you have used an Administrative Installation Point (AIP) for deploying Office XP or Office 2003, you may not be able to deploy the update using SMS if you have updated the AIP from the original baseline. For more information, see the Office Administrative Installation Point heading in this section.
Office Administrative Installation Point
If you installed your application from a server location, the server administrator must update the server location with the administrative update and deploy that update to your system.
- For supported versions of Microsoft Office XP, see Creating an Administrative Installation Point. For more information on how to change the source for a client system from an updated administrative installation point to an Office XP original baseline source, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 922665.
Note If you plan to manage software updates centrally from an updated administrative image, you can find more information in the article Updating Office XP Clients from a Patched Administrative Image. - For supported versions of Microsoft Office 2003, see Creating an Administrative Installation Point. For more information on how to change the source for a client computer from an updated administrative installation point to an Office 2003 original baseline source or Service Pack 3 (SP3), see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 902349.
Note If you plan to manage software updates centrally from an updated administrative image, you can find more information in the article, Distributing Office 2003 Product Upgrades. - For supported versions of the 2007 Microsoft Office system, see Create a network installation point for the 2007 Office system.
Note If you plan to manage security updates centrally, use Windows Server Update Services. For more information about how to deploy security updates for the 2007 Microsoft Office system using Windows Server Update Services, visit the Windows Server Update Services Web site.
Update Compatibility Evaluator and Application Compatibility Toolkit
Updates often write to the same files and registry settings required for your applications to run. This can trigger incompatibilities and increase the time it takes to deploy security updates. You can streamline testing and validating Windows updates against installed applications with the Update Compatibility Evaluator components included with Application Compatibility Toolkit.
The Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) contains the necessary tools and documentation to evaluate and mitigate application compatibility issues before deploying Microsoft Windows Vista, a Windows Update, a Microsoft Security Update, or a new version of Windows Internet Explorer in your environment.
Security Update Deployment
Affected Software
For information about the specific security update for your affected software, click the appropriate link:
Word 2002 (all editions)
Reference Table
The following table contains the security update information for this software. You can find additional information in the subsection, Deployment Information, in this section.
| Inclusion in Future Service Packs | There are no more service packs planned for this software. The update for this issue may be included in a future update rollup. |
| Deployment | |
| Installing without user intervention | OfficeXP-kb2251389-fullfile-enu.exe /q:a |
| Installing without restarting | OfficeXP-kb2251389-fullfile-enu.exe /r:n |
| Update log file | Not applicable |
| Further information | For detection and deployment, see the earlier section, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance. For features you can selectively install, see the Office Features for Administrative Installations subsection in this section. |
| Restart Requirement | |
| Restart required? | In some cases, this update does not require a restart. If the required files are being used, this update will require a restart. If this behavior occurs, a message appears that advises you to restart. To help reduce the chance that a restart will be required, stop all affected services and close all applications that may use the affected files prior to installing the security update. For more information about the reasons why you may be prompted to restart, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 887012. |
| Hotpatching | Not applicable |
| Removal Information | Use Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel. Note When you remove this update, you may be prompted to insert the Microsoft Office XP CD in the CD drive. Additionally, you may not have the option to uninstall the update from the Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel. There are several possible causes for this issue. For more information about the removal, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 903771. |
| File Information | See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2251389 |
| Registry Key Verification | Not applicable |
Office Features
The following table contains the list of feature names (case sensitive) that must be reinstalled for the update. To install all features, you can use REINSTALL=ALL or you can install the following features:
| Product | Feature |
|---|---|
| PIPC1, PROPLUS, PRO, SBE, STD, STDEDU, WORD | WORDFiles |
Note Administrators working in managed environments can find complete resources for deploying Office updates in an organization at the Office Admin Update Center. At that site, scroll down and look under the Update Resources section for the software version you are updating. The Windows Installer Documentation also provides more information about the parameters supported by Windows Installer.
Deployment Information
Installing the Update
You can install the update from the appropriate download link in the Affected and Non-Affected Software section. If you installed your application from a server location, the server administrator must instead update the server location with the administrative update and deploy that update to your system. For more information about Administrative Installation Points, refer to the Office Administrative Installation Point information in the Detection and deployment Tools and Guidance subsection.
This security update requires that Windows Installer 2.0 or later be installed on the system. All supported versions of Windows include Windows Installer 2.0 or a later version.
To install the 2.0 or later version of Windows Installer, visit one of the following Microsoft Web sites:
- Windows Installer 4.5 Redistributable for Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP
- Windows Installer 3.1 Redistributable for Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Microsoft Windows 2000
- Windows Installer 2.0 Redistributable for Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.0
For more information about the terminology that appears in this bulletin, such as hotfix, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 824684.
This security update supports the following setup switches.
| Switch | Description |
|---|---|
| /q | Specifies quiet mode, or suppresses prompts, when files are being extracted. |
| /q:u | Specifies user-quiet mode, which presents some dialog boxes to the user. |
| /q:a | Specifies administrator-quiet mode, which does not present any dialog boxes to the user. |
| /t:path | Specifies the target folder for extracting files. |
| /c | Extracts the files without installing them. If /t:path is not specified, you are prompted for a target folder. |
| /c:path | Overrides the install command that is defined by author. Specifies the path and name of the Setup.inf or .exe file. |
| /r:n | Never restarts the system after installation. |
| /r:I | Prompts the user to restart the system if a restart is required, except when used with /q:a. |
| /r:a | Always restarts the system after installation. |
| /r:s | Restarts the system after installation without prompting the user. |
| /n:v | No version checking - Install the program over any earlier version. |
Note You can combine these switches into one command. For backward compatibility, the security update also supports the setup switches that the earlier version of the Setup program uses. For more information about the supported installation switches, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 262841.
Removing the Update
To remove this security update, use the Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel. Note When you remove this update, you may be prompted to insert the Microsoft Office XP CD in the CD drive. Additionally, you may not have the option to uninstall the update from the Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel. There are several possible causes for this issue. For more information about the removal, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 903771.
Verifying That the Update Has Been Applied
- Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
To verify that a security update has been applied to an affected system, you may be able to use the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) tool. See the section, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance, earlier in this bulletin for more information.
- File Version Verification
Because there are several versions and editions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your system. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.
- Click Start, and then click Search.
- In the Search Results pane, click All files and folders under Search Companion.
- In the All or part of the file name box, type a file name from the appropriate file information table, and then click Search.
- In the list of files, right-click a file name from the appropriate file information table, and then click Properties.
Note Depending on the version of the operating system or programs installed, some of the files that are listed in the file information table may not be installed. - On the Version tab, determine the version of the file that is installed on your system by comparing it to the version that is documented in the appropriate file information table.
Note Attributes other than the file version may change during installation. Comparing other file attributes to the information in the file information table is not a supported method of verifying that the update has been applied. Also, in certain cases, files may be renamed during installation. If the file or version information is not present, use one of the other available methods to verify update installation.
Word 2003 (all editions) and Word Viewer
Reference Table
The following table contains the security update information for this software. You can find additional information in the subsection, Deployment Information, in this section.
| Inclusion in Future Service Packs | There are no more service packs planned for this software. The update for this issue may be included in a future update rollup. |
| Deployment | |
| Installing without user intervention | For Word 2003: Office2003-kb2251399-fullfile-enu.exe /q:a |
| For Word Viewer: Office-kb2251437-fullfile-enu.exe /q:a | |
| Installing without restarting | For Word 2003: Office2003-kb2251399-fullfile-enu.exe /r:n |
| For Word Viewer: Office-kb2251437-fullfile-enu.exe /r:n | |
| Update log file | Not applicable |
| Further information | For detection and deployment, see the earlier section, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance. For features you can selectively install, see the Office Features for Administrative Installations subsection in this section. |
| Restart Requirement | |
| Restart required? | In some cases, this update does not require a restart. If the required files are being used, this update will require a restart. If this behavior occurs, a message appears that advises you to restart. To help reduce the chance that a restart will be required, stop all affected services and close all applications that may use the affected files prior to installing the security update. For more information about the reasons why you may be prompted to restart, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 887012. |
| Hotpatching | Not applicable |
| Removal Information | Use Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel. Note When you remove this update, you may be prompted to insert the Microsoft Office 2003 CD in the CD drive. Additionally, you may not have the option to uninstall the update from the Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel. There are several possible causes for this issue. For more information about the removal, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 903771. |
| File Information | For Word 2003, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2251399 |
| For Word Viewer, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2251437 | |
| Registry Key Verification | Not applicable |
Office Features
The following table contains the list of feature names (case sensitive) that must be reinstalled for the update. To install all features, you can use REINSTALL=ALL or you can install the following features:
| Product | Feature |
|---|---|
| BASIC11, PERS11, PRO11SB, PROI11, PRO11, STDP11, STD11, WORD11 | WORDFiles |
| Word Viewer 2003 | WORDVIEWFiles |
Note Administrators working in managed environments can find complete resources for deploying Office updates in an organization at the Office Admin Update Center. At that site, scroll down and look under the Update Resources section for the software version you are updating. The Windows Installer Documentation also provides more information about the parameters supported by Windows Installer.
Deployment Information
Installing the Update
You can install the update from the appropriate download link in the Affected and Non-Affected Software section. If you installed your application from a server location, the server administrator must instead update the server location with the administrative update and deploy that update to your system. For more information about Administrative Installation Points, refer to the Office Administrative Installation Point information in the Detection and deployment Tools and Guidance subsection.
This security update requires that Windows Installer 2.0 or later be installed on the system. All supported versions of Windows include Windows Installer 2.0 or a later version.
To install the 2.0 or later version of Windows Installer, visit one of the following Microsoft Web sites:
- Windows Installer 4.5 Redistributable for Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP
- Windows Installer 3.1 Redistributable for Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Microsoft Windows 2000
- Windows Installer 2.0 Redistributable for Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.0
For more information about the terminology that appears in this bulletin, such as hotfix, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 824684.
This security update supports the following setup switches.
| Switch | Description |
|---|---|
| /q | Specifies quiet mode, or suppresses prompts, when files are being extracted. |
| /q:u | Specifies user-quiet mode, which presents some dialog boxes to the user. |
| /q:a | Specifies administrator-quiet mode, which does not present any dialog boxes to the user. |
| /t:path | Specifies the target folder for extracting files. |
| /c | Extracts the files without installing them. If /t:path is not specified, you are prompted for a target folder. |
| /c:path | Overrides the install command that is defined by author. Specifies the path and name of the Setup.inf or .exe file. |
| /r:n | Never restarts the system after installation. |
| /r:I | Prompts the user to restart the system if a restart is required, except when used with /q:a. |
| /r:a | Always restarts the system after installation. |
| /r:s | Restarts the system after installation without prompting the user. |
| /n:v | No version checking - Install the program over any earlier version. |
Note You can combine these switches into one command. For backward compatibility, the security update also supports many of the setup switches that the earlier version of the Setup program uses. For more information about the supported installation switches, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 262841.
Removing the Update
To remove this security update, use the Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel.
Note When you remove this update, you may be prompted to insert the Microsoft Office 2003 CD in the CD drive. Additionally, you may not have the option to uninstall the update from the Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel. There are several possible causes for this issue. For more information about the removal, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 903771.
Verifying that the Update Has Been Applied
- Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
To verify that a security update has been applied to an affected system, you may be able to use the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) tool. See the section, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance, earlier in this bulletin for more information.
- File Version Verification
Because there are several editions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your system. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.
- Click Start and then enter an update file name in Start Search.
- When the file appears under Programs, right-click on the file name and click Properties.
- Under the General tab, compare the file size with the file information tables provided in the bulletin KB article.
- You may also click on the Details tab and compare information, such as file version and date modified, with the file information tables provided in the bulletin KB article.
- Finally, you may also click on the Previous Versions tab and compare file information for the previous version of the file with the file information for the new, or updated, version of the file.
Word 2007 (all editions) and Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats (all versions)
Reference Table
The following table contains the security update information for this software. You can find additional information in the subsection, Deployment Information, in this section.
| Inclusion in Future Service Packs | The update for this issue will be included in a future service pack or update rollup |
| Deployment | |
| Installing without user intervention | For Word 2007: Word2007-kb2251419-fullfile-x86-glb.exe /passive |
| For Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats: Office-kb2277947-fullfile-x86-glb.exe /passive | |
| Installing without restarting | For Word 2007: Word2007-kb2251419-fullfile-x86-glb.exe /norestart |
| For Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats: Office-kb2277947-fullfile-x86-glb.exe /norestart | |
| Update log file | Not applicable |
| Further information | For detection and deployment, see the earlier section, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance. |
| Restart Requirement | |
| Restart required? | In some cases, this update does not require a restart. If the required files are being used, this update will require a restart. If this behavior occurs, a message appears that advises you to restart. To help reduce the chance that a restart will be required, stop all affected services and close all applications that may use the affected files prior to installing the security update. For more information about the reasons why you may be prompted to restart, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 887012. |
| Hotpatching | Not applicable |
| Removal Information | Use Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel. |
| File Information | For Word 2007, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2251419 |
| For Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2277947 | |
| Registry Key Verification | Not applicable |
Deployment Information
Installing the Update
You can install the update from the appropriate download link in the Affected and Non-Affected Software section. If you installed your application from a server location, the server administrator must instead update the server location with the administrative update and deploy that update to your system. For more information about Administrative Installation Points, refer to the Office Administrative Installation Point information in the Detection and deployment Tools and Guidance subsection.
This security update requires that Windows Installer 3.1 or later be installed on the system.
To install the 3.1 or later version of Windows Installer, visit one of the following Microsoft Web sites:
- Windows Installer 4.5 Redistributable for Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP
- Windows Installer 3.1 Redistributable for Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Microsoft Windows 2000
For more information about the terminology that appears in this bulletin, such as hotfix, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 824684.
This security update supports the following setup switches.
| Switch | Description |
|---|---|
| /? or /help | Displays usage dialog. |
| /passive | Specifies passive mode. Requires no user interaction; users see basic progress dialogs but cannot cancel. |
| /quiet | Specifies quiet mode, or suppresses prompts, when files are being extracted. |
| /norestart | Suppresses restarting the system if the update requires a restart. |
| /forcerestart | Automatically restarts the system after applying the update, regardless of whether the update requires the restart. |
| /extract | Extracts the files without installing them. You are prompted for a target folder. |
| /extract:<path> | Overrides the install command that is defined by author. Specifies the path and name of the Setup.inf or .exe file. |
| /lang:<LCID> | Forces the use of a specific language, when the update package supports that language. |
| /log:<log file> | Enables logging, by both Vnox and Installer, during the update installation. |
Note You can combine these switches into one command. For backward compatibility, the security update also supports many of the setup switches that the earlier version of the Setup program uses. For more information about the supported installation switches, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 262841.
Removing the Update
To remove this security update, use the Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel.
Note When you remove this update, you may be prompted to insert the 2007 Microsoft Office CD in the CD drive. Additionally, you may not have the option to uninstall the update from the Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel. There are several possible causes for this issue. For more information about the removal, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 903771.
Verifying that the Update Has Been Applied
- Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
To verify that a security update has been applied to an affected system, you may be able to use the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) tool. See the section, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance, earlier in this bulletin for more information.
- File Version Verification
Because there are several editions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your system. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.
- Click Start and then enter an update file name in Start Search.
- When the file appears under Programs, right-click on the file name and click Properties.
- Under the General tab, compare the file size with the file information tables provided in the bulletin KB article.
- You may also click on the Details tab and compare information, such as file version and date modified, with the file information tables provided in the bulletin KB article.
- Finally, you may also click on the Previous Versions tab and compare file information for the previous version of the file with the file information for the new, or updated, version of the file.
Office 2004 for Mac
Deployment Information
Prerequisites
- Mac OS X version 10.2.8 or later on a G3, Mac OS X-compatible processor or higher
- Mac OS X user accounts must have administrator privileges to install this security update
Installing the Update
Download and install the appropriate language version of the Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.6.0 Update from the Microsoft Download Center.
- Quit any applications that are running, including virus-protection applications, all Microsoft Office applications, Microsoft Messenger for Mac, and Office Notifications, because they might interfere with installation.
- Open the Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.6.0 Update volume on your desktop. This step might have been performed for you.
- To start the update process, in the Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.6.0 Update volume window, double-click the Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.6.0 Update application, and follow the instructions on the screen.
- If the installation finishes successfully, you can remove the update installer from your hard disk. To verify that the installation finished successfully, see the following "Verifying Update Installation" heading. To remove the update installer, first drag the Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.6.0 Update volume to the Trash, and then drag the file that you downloaded to the Trash.
Verifying Update Installation
To verify that a security update is installed on an affected system, follow these steps:
- In the Finder, navigate to the Application Folder (Microsoft Office 2004: Office).
- Select the file, Microsoft Component Plugin.
- On the File menu, click Get Info or Show Info.
If the Version number is 11.6.0, the update has been successfully installed.
Restart Requirement
This update does not require you to restart your computer.
Removing the Update
This security update cannot be uninstalled.
Additional Information
If you have technical questions or problems downloading or using this update, visit Microsoft for Mac Support to learn about the support options that are available to you.
Office 2008 for Mac
Deployment Information
Prerequisites
- Mac OS X version 10.4.9 or later on an Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (500 MHz or faster) processor
- Mac OS X user accounts must have administrator privileges to install this security update
Installing the Update
Download and install the appropriate language version of the Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac 12.2.6 Update from the Microsoft Download Center.
- Quit any applications that are running, including virus-protection applications, all Microsoft Office applications, Microsoft Messenger for Mac, and Office Notifications, because they might interfere with installation.
- Open the Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac 12.2.6 Update volume on your desktop. This step might have been performed for you.
- To start the update process, in the Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac 12.2.6 Update volume window, double-click the Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac 12.2.6 Update application, and follow the instructions on the screen.
- If the installation finishes successfully, you can remove the update installer from your hard disk. To verify that the installation finished successfully, see the following "Verifying Update Installation" heading. To remove the update installer, first drag the Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac 12.2.6 Update volume to the Trash, and then drag the file that you downloaded to the Trash.
Verifying Update Installation
To verify that a security update is installed on an affected system, follow these steps:
- In the Finder, navigate to the Application Folder (Microsoft Office 2008: Office).
- Select the file, Microsoft Component Plugin.
- On the File menu, click Get Info or Show Info.
If the Version number is 12.2.6, the update has been successfully installed.
Restart Requirement
This update does not require you to restart your computer.
Removing the Update
This security update cannot be uninstalled.
Additional Information
If you have technical questions or problems downloading or using this update, visit Microsoft for Mac Support to learn about the support options that are available to you.
Open XML File Format Converter for Mac
Deployment Information
Prerequisites
- Mac OS X version 10.4.9 or later on an Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (500 MHz or faster) processor
- Mac OS X user accounts must have administrator privileges to install this security update
Installing the Update
Download and install the appropriate language version of the Open XML File Format Converter for Mac 1.1.6 Update from the Microsoft Download Center.
- Quit any applications that are running, including virus-protection applications, all Microsoft Office applications, Microsoft Messenger for Mac, and Office Notifications, because they might interfere with installation.
- Open the Open XML File Format Converter for Mac 1.1.6 Update volume on your desktop. This step might have been performed for you.
- To start the update process, in the Open XML File Format Converter for Mac 1.1.6 Update volume window, double-click the Open XML File Format Converter for Mac 1.1.6 Update application, and follow the instructions on the screen.
- If the installation finishes successfully, you can remove the update installer from your hard disk. To verify that the installation finished successfully, see the following "Verifying Update Installation" heading. To remove the update installer, first drag the Open XML File Format Converter for Mac 1.1.6 Update volume to the Trash, and then drag the file that you downloaded to the Trash.
Verifying Update Installation
To verify that a security update is installed on an affected system, follow these steps:
- In the Finder, navigate to the Application Folder.
- Select the file, Open XML File Format Converter.
- On the File menu, click Get Info or Show Info.
If the Version number is 1.1.6, the update has been successfully installed.
Restart Requirement
This update does not require you to restart your computer.
Removing the Update
This security update cannot be uninstalled.
Additional Information
If you have technical questions or problems downloading or using this update, visit Microsoft for Mac Support to learn about the support options that are available to you.
Works 9
Reference Table
The following table contains the security update information for this software. You can find additional information in the subsection, Deployment Information, in this section.
| Inclusion in Future Service Packs | The update for this issue will be included in a future service pack or update rollup |
| Deployment | |
| Installing without user intervention | For Works 9: Works9_KB2092914_en-US.exe /passive |
| Installing without restarting | For Works 9: Works9_KB2092914_en-US.exe /norestart |
| Update log file | Not applicable |
| Further information | For detection and deployment, see the earlier section, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance. |
| Restart Requirement | |
| Restart required? | In some cases, this update does not require a restart. If the required files are being used, this update will require a restart. If this behavior occurs, a message appears that advises you to restart. To help reduce the chance that a restart will be required, stop all affected services and close all applications that may use the affected files prior to installing the security update. For more information about the reasons why you may be prompted to restart, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 887012. |
| Hotpatching | Not applicable |
| Removal Information | Use Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel. |
| File Information | See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2092914 |
| Registry Key Verification | Not applicable |
Deployment Information
Installing the Update
You can install the update from the appropriate download link in the Affected and Non-Affected Software section. If you installed your application from a server location, the server administrator must instead update the server location with the administrative update and deploy that update to your system. For more information about Administrative Installation Points, refer to the Office Administrative Installation Point information in the Detection and deployment Tools and Guidance subsection.
This security update requires that Windows Installer 3.1 or later be installed on the system.
To install the 3.1 or later version of Windows Installer, visit one of the following Microsoft Web sites:
- Windows Installer 4.5 Redistributable for Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP
- Windows Installer 3.1 Redistributable for Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Microsoft Windows 2000
For more information about the terminology that appears in this bulletin, such as hotfix, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 824684.
This security update supports the following setup switches.
| Switch | Description |
|---|---|
| /? or /help | Displays usage dialog. |
| /passive | Specifies passive mode. Requires no user interaction; users see basic progress dialogs but cannot cancel. |
| /quiet | Specifies quiet mode, or suppresses prompts, when files are being extracted. |
| /norestart | Suppresses restarting the system if the update requires a restart. |
| /forcerestart | Automatically restarts the system after applying the update, regardless of whether the update requires the restart. |
| /extract | Extracts the files without installing them. You are prompted for a target folder. |
| /extract:<path> | Overrides the install command that is defined by author. Specifies the path and name of the Setup.inf or .exe file. |
| /lang:<LCID> | Forces the use of a specific language, when the update package supports that language. |
| /log:<log file> | Enables logging, by both Vnox and Installer, during the update installation. |
Note You can combine these switches into one command. For backward compatibility, the security update also supports many of the setup switches that the earlier version of the Setup program uses. For more information about the supported installation switches, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 262841.
Removing the Update
To remove this security update, use the Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel.
Note When you remove this update, you may be prompted to insert the 2007 Microsoft Office CD in the CD drive. Additionally, you may not have the option to uninstall the update from the Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel. There are several possible causes for this issue. For more information about the removal, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 903771.
Verifying that the Update Has Been Applied
- Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
To verify that a security update has been applied to an affected system, you may be able to use the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) tool. See the section, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance, earlier in this bulletin for more information.
- File Version Verification
Because there are several editions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your system. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.
- Click Start and then enter an update file name in Start Search.
- When the file appears under Programs, right-click on the file name and click Properties.
- Under the General tab, compare the file size with the file information tables provided in the bulletin KB article.
- You may also click on the Details tab and compare information, such as file version and date modified, with the file information tables provided in the bulletin KB article.
- Finally, you may also click on the Previous Versions tab and compare file information for the previous version of the file with the file information for the new, or updated, version of the file.
Other Information
Acknowledgments
Microsoft thanks the following for working with us to help protect customers:
- L.W.Z of team509, working with TippingPoint's Zero Day Initiative, for reporting the Word Record Parsing Vulnerability (CVE-2010-1900)
- Wushi of team509, working with VeriSign iDefense Labs, for reporting the Word RTF Parsing Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2010-1901)
- team509, working with VeriSign iDefense Labs, for reporting the Word RTF Parsing Buffer Overflow Vulnerability (CVE-2010-1902)
- Rodrigo Rubira Branco of the Check Point IPS Research Team for reporting the Word HTML Linked Objects Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2010-1903)
- An anonymous researcher, working with TippingPoint's Zero Day Initiative, for reporting the Word HTML Linked Objects Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2010-1903)
Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP)
To improve security protections for customers, Microsoft provides vulnerability information to major security software providers in advance of each monthly security update release. Security software providers can then use this vulnerability information to provide updated protections to customers via their security software or devices, such as antivirus, network-based intrusion detection systems, or host-based intrusion prevention systems. To determine whether active protections are available from security software providers, please visit the active protections Web sites provided by program partners, listed in Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP) Partners.
Support
- Customers in the U.S. and Canada can receive technical support from Security Support or 1-866-PCSAFETY. There is no charge for support calls that are associated with security updates. For more information about available support options, see Microsoft Help and Support.
- International customers can receive support from their local Microsoft subsidiaries. There is no charge for support that is associated with security updates. For more information about how to contact Microsoft for support issues, visit the International Support Web site.
Disclaimer
The information provided in the Microsoft Knowledge Base is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Microsoft disclaims all warranties, either express or implied, including the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event shall Microsoft Corporation or its suppliers be liable for any damages whatsoever including direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, loss of business profits or special damages, even if Microsoft Corporation or its suppliers have been advised of the possibility of such damages. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages so the foregoing limitation may not apply.
Revisions
- V1.0 (August 10, 2010): Bulletin published.
- V1.1 (August 11, 2010): Corrected the update package names for Microsoft Office Word Viewer and Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack in the deployment reference tables. This is an informational change only. There were no changes to the security update files or detection logic.
- V1.2 (August 25, 2010): Added a link to Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2269638 under Known Issues in the Executive Summary.
- V1.3 (September 1, 2010): Added note to the affected software table to inform customers using Word 2007 that in addition to security update package KB2251419, they also need to install the security update package KB2277947 to be protected from the vulnerabilities described in this bulletin.