Microsoft Security Bulletin MS11-045 - Important
Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Excel Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2537146)
Published: | Updated:
Version: 1.1
General Information
Executive Summary
This security update resolves eight privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office. The vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted Excel file. An attacker who successfully exploited any of these vulnerabilities could gain the same user rights as the logged-on 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. Installing and configuring Office File Validation (OFV) to prevent the opening of suspicious files blocks the attack vectors for exploiting the vulnerabilities described in CVE-2011-1272, CVE-2011-1273, and CVE-2011-1279. See the section, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Related to This Security Update, for more information about how the Office File Validation feature can be configured to block the attack vectors. Microsoft Excel 2010 is only affected by CVE-2011-1273 described in this bulletin. The automated Microsoft Fix it solution, "Disable Edit in Protected View for Excel 2010," available in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2501584, blocks the attack vectors for exploiting CVE-2011-1273.
This security update is rated Important for all supported editions of Microsoft Excel 2002, Microsoft Excel 2003, Microsoft Excel 2007, Microsoft Excel 2010, Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac, Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac, and Microsoft Office for Mac 2011; Open XML File Format Converter for Mac; and all supported versions of Microsoft Excel 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 Excel validates record information when parsing specially crafted Excel files. For more information about the vulnerabilities, see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) subsection for the specific vulnerability entry under the next section, Vulnerability Information.
Recommendation. Customers can configure automatic updating to check online for updates from Microsoft Update by using the Microsoft Update service. Customers who have automatic updating enabled and configured to check online for updates from Microsoft Update typically will not need to take any action because this security update will be downloaded and installed automatically. Customers who have not enabled automatic updating need to check for updates from Microsoft Update and install this update manually. For information about specific configuration options in automatic updating in supported editions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 294871. For information about automatic updating in supported editions of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2, see Understanding Windows automatic updating.
For administrators and enterprise installations, or end users who want to install this security update manually, Microsoft recommends that customers apply the update at the earliest opportunity using update management software, or by checking for updates using the Microsoft Update service.
See also the section, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance, later in this bulletin.
Known Issues. Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2537146 documents the currently known issues that customers may experience when installing this security update. The article also documents recommended solutions for these issues. When currently known issues and recommended solutions pertain only to specific releases of this software, this article provides links to further articles.
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
| Microsoft 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 Excel 2002 Service Pack 3 (KB2541003) | Remote Code Execution | Important | MS11-021 |
| Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3 | Microsoft Excel 2003 Service Pack 3 (KB2541025) | Remote Code Execution | Important | MS11-021 |
| Microsoft Office 2007 Service Pack 2 | Microsoft Excel 2007 Service Pack 2[1] (KB2541007) | Remote Code Execution | Important | MS11-021 |
| Microsoft Office 2010 (32-bit editions) | Microsoft Excel 2010 (32-bit editions) (KB2523021) | Remote Code Execution | Important | MS11-021 |
| Microsoft Office 2010 (64-bit editions) | Microsoft Excel 2010 (64-bit editions) (KB2523021) | Remote Code Execution | Important | MS11-021 |
| Microsoft Office for Mac | ||||
| Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac (KB2555786) | Not applicable | Remote Code Execution | Important | MS11-021, MS11-022 |
| Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac (KB2555785) | Not applicable | Remote Code Execution | Important | MS11-021, MS11-022 |
| Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 (KB2555784) | Not applicable | Remote Code Execution | Important | MS11-021, MS11-022 |
| Open XML File Format Converter for Mac (KB2555787) | Not applicable | Remote Code Execution | Important | MS11-021 |
| Other Microsoft Office Software | ||||
| Microsoft Excel Viewer Service Pack 2 (KB2541015) | Not applicable | Remote Code Execution | Important | MS11-021 |
| Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats Service Pack 2 (KB2541012) | Not applicable | Remote Code Execution | Important | MS11-021 |
[1]For Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Service Pack 2, in addition to security update package KB2541007, customers also need to install the security update for Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats Service Pack 2 (KB2541012) to be protected from the vulnerabilities described in this bulletin.
Non-Affected Software
| Office and Other Software |
|---|
| Microsoft Works 9 |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Related to This Security Update
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 is this update only rated Important for all affected versions of Excel?
Microsoft Excel 2002 and later versions have a built-in feature that prompts a user to Open, Save, or Cancel before opening a document. This mitigating factor reduces the vulnerability from Critical to Important because the vulnerability requires more than a single user action to complete the exploit.
How could the Office File Validation feature help to mitigate the vulnerabilities?
When the Office File Validation feature is enabled in Microsoft Excel 2003 and Microsoft Excel 2007, specially crafted files that could be used to exploit the vulnerabilities described in CVE-2011-1272, CVE-2011-1273, and CVE-2011-1279 are not opened automatically; instead, by default, the user is prompted to choose whether or not to open such a file. A user would have to click through the warning to open the file before the vulnerabilities could be exploited. For more information about Office File Validation in Microsoft Excel 2003 or Microsoft Excel 2007, see Microsoft Security Advisory 2501584.
Office File Validation is enabled by default in Microsoft Excel 2010. Specially crafted files that could be used to exploit the vulnerabilities described in CVE-2011-1272, CVE-2011-1273, and CVE-2011-1279 fail validation and open in Protected View; the user then must click through several warning messages before the file can be opened for editing and the vulnerabilities could be exploited.
What is the benefit if I disable the opening of files that fail file validation in Excel 2003 and Excel 2007?
By setting Office File Validation to not allow the opening of suspicious files in Excel 2003 and Excel 2007, the Microsoft Fix it solution, "Disable the opening of documents for Excel 2003 and 2007" available in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2501584, blocks the attack vectors for exploiting the vulnerabilities described in CVE-2011-1272, CVE-2011-1273, and CVE-2011-1279.
Refer to Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2501584 for instructions on applying the automated Fix it solution, "Disable the opening of documents for Excel 2003 and 2007," or refer to the Workaround sections for CVE-2011-1272, CVE-2011-1273, and CVE-2011-1279 in the Vulnerability Information section of this bulletin for instructions on applying the solution manually.
What is the benefit if I disable the opening of files that fail file validation in Excel 2010?
Microsoft Excel 2010 is only affected by CVE-2011-1273 described in this bulletin. The automated Microsoft Fix it solution, "Disable Edit in Protected View for Excel 2010," available in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2501584, blocks the attack vectors for exploiting CVE-2011-1273. Customers may choose to apply the Fix it solution as a workaround if choosing not to install the security update for Excel 2010 until a later time.
Refer to Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2501584 for instructions on applying the automated Fix it solution, "Disable Edit in Protected View for Excel 2010," or refer to the Workaround sections for CVE-2011-1273 in the Vulnerability Information section of this bulletin for instructions on applying the solution manually.
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.
How is this security update related to MS11-036?
The security update packages for Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac (KB2555786), Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac (KB2555785), and Open XML File Format Converter for Mac (KB2555784) offered in this bulletin also address the vulnerabilities described in the MS11-036 security bulletin.
What components of the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats are updated by this bulletin?
The update included with this security bulletin applies only to the specific component within the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats that is affected. For example, in an Excel bulletin, only the Excel compatibility pack component files are included in the update packages and not Word or PowerPoint compatibility pack component files. Word compatibility pack component files are updated in a Word bulletin and PowerPoint compatibility pack component files are updated in a PowerPoint bulletin.
What is the Microsoft Excel Viewer?
The Microsoft Excel Viewer is a replacement for all previous Excel Viewer versions, including Excel Viewer 97 and Excel Viewer 2003. With Excel Viewer, you can open, view, and print Excel workbooks, even if you don't have Excel installed. You can also copy data from Excel Viewer to another program. However, you cannot edit data, save a workbook, or create a new workbook.
How are Microsoft Office standalone programs affected by the vulnerabilities?
A Microsoft Office standalone program is affected with the same severity rating as the corresponding component in a Microsoft Office Suite. For example, a standalone installation of Microsoft Excel is affected with the same severity rating as an installation of Microsoft Excel that was delivered with a Microsoft Office Suite.
The Microsoft Office component discussed in this article is part of the Microsoft 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 Microsoft 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 Microsoft 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 Microsoft 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 June bulletin summary. For more information, see Microsoft Exploitability Index.
| Affected Software | Excel Insufficient Record Validation Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1272 | Excel Improper Record Parsing Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1273 | Excel Out of Bounds Array Access Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1274 | Excel Memory Heap Overwrite Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1275 | Excel Buffer Overrun Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1276 | Excel Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1277 | Excel WriteAV Vulnerability- CVE-2011-1278 | Excel Out of Bounds WriteAV Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1279 | Aggregate Severity Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Office Suites and Components | |||||||||
| Microsoft Excel 2002 Service Pack 3 | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important |
| Microsoft Excel 2003 Service Pack 3 | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Not applicable | Important Remote Code Execution | Not applicable | Not applicable | Important Remote Code Execution | Important |
| Microsoft Excel 2007 Service Pack 2 | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Not applicable | Important Remote Code Execution | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Important |
| Microsoft Excel 2010 (32-bit editions) | Not applicable | Important Remote Code Execution | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Important |
| Microsoft Excel 2010 (64-bit editions) | Not applicable | Important Remote Code Execution | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Important |
| Microsoft Office for Mac | |||||||||
| Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Not applicable | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important |
| Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Not applicable | Important Remote Code Execution | Important |
| Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 | Not applicable | Important Remote Code Execution | Not applicable | Important Remote Code Execution | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Important |
| Open XML File Format Converter for Mac | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Not applicable | Important Remote Code Execution | Important |
| Other Microsoft Office Software | |||||||||
| Microsoft Excel Viewer Service Pack 2 | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Important Remote Code Execution | Not applicable | Important Remote Code Execution | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | 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 Remote Code Execution | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Important |
Excel Insufficient Record Validation Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1272
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Excel handles specially crafted Excel files. 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.
To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2011-1272.
Mitigating Factors for Excel Insufficient Record Validation Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1272
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 logged-on 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 an Excel file 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 Excel file.
Workarounds for Excel Insufficient Record Validation Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1272
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:
- Set Office File Validation to disable the opening of files that fail validation in Excel 2003 and Excel 2007
Note Before applying this workaround, Office File Validation must be enabled for your version of Microsoft Office. For information on how to enable Office File Validation in Microsoft Office 2003 and Microsoft Office 2007, see the TechNet article, Office File Validation for Office 2003 and Office 2007.
The following registry scripts can be saved in registry entry (.reg) files and used to disable editing of files that fail file validation. For more information on how to use registry scripts, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 310516.
Note See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2501584 to use the automated Microsoft Fix it solution to enable or disable this workaround in the appropriate Office software.
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.
Use the registry script that is appropriate for your Office software.
Microsoft Office Software Registry Script Microsoft Excel 2003 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Excel\Security\FileValidation]
"InvalidFileUIOptions"=dword:00000001Microsoft Excel 2007 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security\FileValidation]
"InvalidFileUIOptions"=dword:00000001Impact of workaround. Office File Validation will no longer allow the opening of suspicious files.
How to undo the workaround.
Use the appropriate registry script for your software to undo the settings set by this workaround.
Microsoft Office Software Registry Script Microsoft Excel 2003 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Excel\Security\FileValidation]
"InvalidFileUIOptions"=dword:00000000Microsoft Excel 2007 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security\FileValidation]
"InvalidFileUIOptions"=dword:00000000 - Use Microsoft Office File Block policy to block the opening of Office 2003 and earlier documents from unknown or untrusted sources and locations
Microsoft Office File Block policy can be used to block specific file format types from opening in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint.
For Microsoft Office 2003 and Microsoft Office 2007
The following registry scripts can be saved in registry entry (.reg) files and used to set the File Block policy. For more information on how to use registry scripts, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 310516.
Note In order to use 'FileOpenBlock' with Microsoft Office 2003, all of the latest security updates for Microsoft Office 2003 must be applied. In order to use 'FileOpenBlock' with Microsoft Office 2007, all of the latest security updates for Office 2007 must be applied.
Microsoft Office Software Registry Script Microsoft Excel 2003 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Excel\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000001Microsoft Excel 2007 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000001Impact of workaround. For Microsoft Office 2003 and Microsoft Office 2007, users who have configured the File Block policy and have not configured a special exempt directory or have not moved files to a trusted location will be unable to open Office 2003 files or earlier versions. For more information about the impact of file block setting in Microsoft Office software, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 922850.
How to undo the workaround.
For Microsoft Office 2003 and Microsoft Office 2007, use the following registry scripts to undo the settings used to set the File Block policy:
Microsoft Office Software Registry Script Microsoft Excel 2003 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\PowerPoint\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000000Microsoft Excel 2007 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000000 - Use the Microsoft Office Isolated Conversion Environment (MOICE) when opening files from unknown or untrusted sources
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.
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 Office 2007 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.
MOICE requires all updates that are recommended for all Office programs. Visit Microsoft Update to install all recommended updates.
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.documentFor Excel, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .XLS=oice.excel.sheet
ASSOC .XLT=oice.excel.template
ASSOC .XLA=oice.excel.addinFor PowerPoint, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .PPT=oice.powerpoint.show
ASSOC .POT=oice.powerpoint.template
ASSOC .PPS=oice.powerpoint.slideshowNote 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 Microsoft Office 2007 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.8For Excel, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .xls=Excel.Sheet.8
ASSOC .xlt=Excel.Template
ASSOC .xla=Excel.AddinFor PowerPoint, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .ppt=PowerPoint.Show.8
ASSOC .PPS=oice.powerpoint.slideshow
ASSOC .pps=PowerPoint.SlideShow.8Note 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 Office files that you receive from untrusted sources or that you receive unexpectedly from trusted sources
Do not open Office 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 Excel Insufficient Record Validation Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1272
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?
The vulnerability is caused when Microsoft Excel insufficiently validates Excel record structures while parsing specially crafted Excel files.
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?
Exploitation of this vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted Excel file with an affected version of Microsoft Excel.
In an e-mail attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted Excel file 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 Excel 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 Excel file.
What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Systems where Microsoft Excel is used, such as workstations, 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 Microsoft Excel validates record information when parsing specially crafted Excel 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.
Excel Improper Record Parsing Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1273
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Excel handles specially crafted Excel files. 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.
To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2011-1273.
Mitigating Factors for Excel Improper Record Parsing Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1273
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 logged-on 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 an Excel file 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 Excel file.
Workarounds for Excel Improper Record Parsing Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1273
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.
- Set Office File Validation to disable the opening of files that fail validation in Excel 2003 and Excel 2007
Note Before applying this workaround, Office File Validation must be enabled for your version of Microsoft Office. For information on how to enable Office File Validation in Microsoft Office 2003 and Microsoft Office 2007, see the TechNet article, Office File Validation for Office 2003 and Office 2007.
The following registry scripts can be saved in registry entry (.reg) files and used to disable editing of files that fail file validation. For more information on how to use registry scripts, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 310516.
Note See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2501584 to use the automated Microsoft Fix it solution to enable or disable this workaround in the appropriate Office software.
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.
Use the registry script that is appropriate for your Office software.
Microsoft Office Software Registry Script Microsoft Excel 2003 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Excel\Security\FileValidation]
"InvalidFileUIOptions"=dword:00000001Microsoft Excel 2007 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security\FileValidation]
"InvalidFileUIOptions"=dword:00000001Impact of workaround. Office File Validation will no longer allow the opening of suspicious files.
How to undo the workaround.
Use the appropriate registry script for your software to undo the settings set by this workaround.
Microsoft Office Software Registry Script Microsoft Excel 2003 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Excel\Security\FileValidation]
"InvalidFileUIOptions"=dword:00000000Microsoft Excel 2007 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security\FileValidation]
"InvalidFileUIOptions"=dword:00000000 - Set Office File Validation to disable the edit in Protected View of files that fail validation in Excel 2010
The following registry scripts can be saved in registry entry (.reg) files and used to disable editing of files that fail file validation. For more information on how to use registry scripts, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 310516.
Note See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2501584 to use the automated Microsoft Fix it solution to enable or disable this workaround in the appropriate Office software.
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.
Use the registry script that is appropriate for your Office software.
Microsoft Office Software Registry Script Microsoft Excel 2010 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Excel\Security\FileValidation]
"DisableEditFromPV"=dword:00000001Impact of workaround. Office File Validation will no longer allow the editing of suspicious files.
How to undo the workaround.
Use the appropriate registry script for your software to undo the settings set by this workaround.
Microsoft Office Software Registry Script Microsoft Excel 2010 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Excel\Security\FileValidation]
"DisableEditFromPV"=dword:00000000 - Use Microsoft Office File Block policy to block the opening of Office 2003 and earlier documents from unknown or untrusted sources and locations
Microsoft Office File Block policy can be used to block specific file format types from opening in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint.
For Microsoft Office 2003 and Microsoft Office 2007
The following registry scripts can be saved in registry entry (.reg) files and used to set the File Block policy. For more information on how to use registry scripts, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 310516.
Note In order to use 'FileOpenBlock' with Microsoft Office 2003, all of the latest security updates for Microsoft Office 2003 must be applied. In order to use 'FileOpenBlock' with Microsoft Office 2007, all of the latest security updates for Office 2007 must be applied.
Microsoft Office Software Registry Script Microsoft Excel 2003 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Excel\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000001Microsoft Excel 2007 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000001For Microsoft Office 2010
Open Microsoft Excel 2010 and perform the following steps:
- Click the File tab.
- Under Help, click Options.
- Click Trust Center, and then click Trust Center Settings.
- In the Trust Center, click File Block Settings.
- Ensure the Open check box is selected for the following file types:
In Microsoft Excel 2010:
- Excel 2007 and later Binary Workbooks
- Excel 97-2003 Add-in Files
- Excel 97-2003 Workbooks and Templates
- Excel 95-97 Workbooks and Templates
- Excel 95 Workbooks
- Excel 4 Workbooks
- Excel 4 Worksheets
- Excel 3 Worksheets
- Excel 2 Worksheets - Under Open behavior for selected file types, select "Do not open selected file types" or select "Open selected file types in Protected View". Either choice will block the attack vector to the vulnerable code.
- Click OK to apply the File Block Settings.
Alternatively, file block can be applied using Group Policy. For more information, see the TechNet article, Plan file block settings for Office 2010.
Impact of workaround. For Microsoft Office 2003 and Microsoft Office 2007, users who have configured the File Block policy and have not configured a special exempt directory or have not moved files to a trusted location will be unable to open Office 2003 files or earlier versions. For Microsoft Office 2010, Office 2003 files or earlier versions will either be blocked from opening or will be opened in protected mode depending on the open behavior that was selected. For more information about the impact of file block setting in Microsoft Office software, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 922850.
How to undo the workaround.
For Microsoft Office 2003 and Microsoft Office 2007, use the following registry scripts to undo the settings used to set the File Block policy:
Microsoft Office Software Registry Script Microsoft Excel 2003 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\PowerPoint\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000000Microsoft Excel 2007 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000000For Microsoft Office 2010, open the Microsoft Excel 2010 and perform the following steps:
- Click the File tab.
- Under Help, click Options.
- Click Trust Center, and then click Trust Center Settings.
- In the Trust Center, click File Block Settings.
- Clear the Open check box for the file types that you previously selected.
- Click OK to apply the File Block settings.
- Use the Microsoft Office Isolated Conversion Environment (MOICE) when opening files from unknown or untrusted sources
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.
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 Office 2007 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.
MOICE requires all updates that are recommended for all Office programs. Visit Microsoft Update to install all recommended updates.
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.documentFor Excel, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .XLS=oice.excel.sheet
ASSOC .XLT=oice.excel.template
ASSOC .XLA=oice.excel.addinFor PowerPoint, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .PPT=oice.powerpoint.show
ASSOC .POT=oice.powerpoint.template
ASSOC .PPS=oice.powerpoint.slideshowNote 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 Microsoft Office 2007 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.8For Excel, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .xls=Excel.Sheet.8
ASSOC .xlt=Excel.Template
ASSOC .xla=Excel.AddinFor PowerPoint, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .ppt=PowerPoint.Show.8
ASSOC .PPS=oice.powerpoint.slideshow
ASSOC .pps=PowerPoint.SlideShow.8Note 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 Office files that you receive from untrusted sources or that you receive unexpectedly from trusted sources
Do not open Office 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 Excel Improper Record Parsing Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1273
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 Excel validates record information upon opening a specially crafted Excel file, a memory handling error 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?
Exploitation of this vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted Excel file with an affected version of Microsoft Excel.
In an e-mail attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted Excel file 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 Excel 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 Excel file.
What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Systems where Microsoft Excel is used, such as workstations, 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 Microsoft Excel validates record information when parsing specially crafted Excel 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.
Excel Out of Bounds Array Access Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1274
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Excel handles specially crafted Excel files. 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.
To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2011-1274.
Mitigating Factors for Excel Out of Bounds Array Access Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1274
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 logged-on 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 an Excel file 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 Excel file.
Workarounds for Excel Out of Bounds Array Access Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1274
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
Microsoft Office File Block policy can be used to block specific file format types from opening in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint.
For Microsoft Office 2003 and Microsoft Office 2007
The following registry scripts can be saved in registry entry (.reg) files and used to set the File Block policy. For more information on how to use registry scripts, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 310516.
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.
Note In order to use 'FileOpenBlock' with Microsoft Office 2003, all of the latest security updates for Microsoft Office 2003 must be applied. In order to use 'FileOpenBlock' with Microsoft Office 2007, all of the latest security updates for Office 2007 must be applied.
Microsoft Office Software Registry Script Microsoft Excel 2003 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Excel\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000001Microsoft Excel 2007 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000001Impact of workaround. For Microsoft Office 2003 and Microsoft Office 2007, users who have configured the File Block policy and have not configured a special exempt directory or have not moved files to a trusted location will be unable to open Office 2003 files or earlier versions. For more information about the impact of file block setting in Microsoft Office software, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 922850.
How to undo the workaround.
For Microsoft Office 2003 and Microsoft Office 2007, use the following registry scripts to undo the settings used to set the File Block policy:
Microsoft Office Software Registry Script Microsoft Excel 2003 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Excel\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000000Microsoft Excel 2007 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000000 - 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 Office 2007 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.
MOICE requires all updates that are recommended for all Office programs. Visit Microsoft Update to install all recommended updates.
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.documentFor Excel, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .XLS=oice.excel.sheet
ASSOC .XLT=oice.excel.template
ASSOC .XLA=oice.excel.addinFor PowerPoint, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .PPT=oice.powerpoint.show
ASSOC .POT=oice.powerpoint.template
ASSOC .PPS=oice.powerpoint.slideshowNote 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 Microsoft Office 2007 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.8For Excel, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .xls=Excel.Sheet.8
ASSOC .xlt=Excel.Template
ASSOC .xla=Excel.AddinFor PowerPoint, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .ppt=PowerPoint.Show.8
ASSOC .PPS=oice.powerpoint.slideshow
ASSOC .pps=PowerPoint.SlideShow.8Note 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 Office files that you receive from untrusted sources or that you receive unexpectedly from trusted sources
Do not open Office 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 Excel Out of Bounds Array Access Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1274
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 Excel validates record information upon opening a specially crafted Excel file, a memory handling error 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?
Exploitation of this vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted Excel file with an affected version of Microsoft Excel.
In an e-mail attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted Excel file 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 Excel 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 Excel file.
What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Systems where Microsoft Excel is used, such as workstations, 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 Microsoft Excel validates record information when parsing specially crafted Excel 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.
Excel Memory Heap Overwrite Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1275
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Excel handles specially crafted Excel files. 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.
To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2011-1275.
Mitigating Factors for Excel Memory Heap Overwrite Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1275
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 logged-on 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 an Excel file 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 Excel file.
Workarounds for Excel Memory Heap Overwrite Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1275
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:
- Do not open Office files that you receive from untrusted sources or that you receive unexpectedly from trusted sources
Do not open Office 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 Excel Memory Heap Overwrite Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1275
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 Excel validates record information upon opening a specially crafted Excel file, a memory handling error 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?
Exploitation of this vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted Excel file with an affected version of Microsoft Excel.
In an e-mail attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted Excel file 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 Excel 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 Excel file.
What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Systems where Microsoft Excel is used, such as workstations, 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 Microsoft Excel validates record information when parsing specially crafted Excel 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.
Excel Buffer Overrun Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1276
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Excel handles specially crafted Excel files. 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.
To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2011-1276.
Mitigating Factors for Excel Buffer Overrun Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1276
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 logged-on 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 an Excel file 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 Excel file.
Workarounds for Excel Buffer Overrun Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1276
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:
- Do not open Office files that you receive from untrusted sources or that you receive unexpectedly from trusted sources
Do not open Office 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 Excel Buffer Overrun Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1276
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 Excel validates record information upon opening a specially crafted Excel file, a memory handling error 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?
Exploitation of this vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted Excel file with an affected version of Microsoft Excel.
In an e-mail attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted Excel file 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 Excel 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 Excel file.
What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Systems where Microsoft Excel is used, such as workstations, 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 Microsoft Excel validates record information when parsing specially crafted Excel 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.
Excel Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1277
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Excel handles specially crafted Excel files. 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.
To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2011-1277.
Mitigating Factors for Excel Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1277
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 logged-on 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 an Excel file 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 Excel file.
Workarounds for Excel Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1277
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:
- Do not open Office files that you receive from untrusted sources or that you receive unexpectedly from trusted sources
Do not open Office 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 Excel Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1277
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 Excel validates record information upon opening a specially crafted Excel file, a memory handling error 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?
Exploitation of this vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted Excel file with an affected version of Microsoft Excel.
In an e-mail attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted Excel file 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 Excel 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 Excel file.
What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Systems where Microsoft Excel is used, such as workstations, 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 Microsoft Excel validates record information when parsing specially crafted Excel 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.
Excel WriteAV Vulnerability- CVE-2011-1278
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Excel handles specially crafted Excel files. 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.
To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2011-1278.
Mitigating Factors for Excel WriteAV Vulnerability- CVE-2011-1278
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 logged-on 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 an Excel file 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 Excel file.
Workarounds for Excel WriteAV Vulnerability- CVE-2011-1278
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:
- Do not open Office files that you receive from untrusted sources or that you receive unexpectedly from trusted sources
Do not open Office 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 Excel WriteAV Vulnerability- CVE-2011-1278
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 Excel validates record information upon opening a specially crafted Excel file, a memory handling error 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?
Exploitation of this vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted Excel file with an affected version of Microsoft Excel.
In an e-mail attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted Excel file 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 Excel 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 Excel file.
What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Systems where Microsoft Excel is used, such as workstations, 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 Microsoft Excel validates record information when parsing specially crafted Excel 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.
Excel Out of Bounds WriteAV Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1279
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Excel handles specially crafted Excel files. 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.
To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2011-1279.
Mitigating Factors for Excel Out of Bounds WriteAV Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1279
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 logged-on 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 an Excel file 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 Excel file.
Workarounds for Excel Out of Bounds WriteAV Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1279
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:
- Set Office File Validation to disable the opening of files that fail validation in Excel 2003
Note Before applying this workaround, Office File Validation must be enabled for your version of Microsoft Office. For information on how to enable Office File Validation in Microsoft Office 2003, see the TechNet article, Office File Validation for Office 2003 and Office 2007.
The following registry scripts can be saved in registry entry (.reg) files and used to disable editing of files that fail file validation. For more information on how to use registry scripts, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 310516.
Note See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2501584 to use the automated Microsoft Fix it solution to enable or disable this workaround in the appropriate Office software.
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.
Use the registry script for your Office software.
Microsoft Office Software Registry Script Microsoft Excel 2003 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Excel\Security\FileValidation]
"InvalidFileUIOptions"=dword:00000001Impact of workaround. Office File Validation will no longer allow the opening of suspicious files.
How to undo the workaround.
Use the registry script for your software to undo the settings set by this workaround.
Microsoft Office Software Registry Script Microsoft Excel 2003 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Excel\Security\FileValidation]
"InvalidFileUIOptions"=dword:00000000 - Use Microsoft Office File Block policy to block the opening of Office 2003 and earlier documents from unknown or untrusted sources and locations
Microsoft Office File Block policy can be used to block specific file format types from opening in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint.
For Microsoft Office 2003
The following registry scripts can be saved in registry entry (.reg) files and used to set the File Block policy. For more information on how to use registry scripts, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 310516.
Note In order to use 'FileOpenBlock' with Microsoft Office 2003, all of the latest security updates for Microsoft Office 2003 must be applied. In order to use 'FileOpenBlock' with Microsoft Office 2007, all of the latest security updates for Office 2007 must be applied.
Microsoft Office Software Registry Script Microsoft Excel 2003 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Excel\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000001Impact of workaround. For Microsoft Office 2003, users who have configured the File Block policy and have not configured a special exempt directory or have not moved files to a trusted location will be unable to open Office 2003 files or earlier versions. For more information about the impact of file block setting in Microsoft Office software, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 922850.
How to undo the workaround.
For Microsoft Office 2003, use the following registry scripts to undo the settings used to set the File Block policy:
Microsoft Office Software Registry Script Microsoft Excel 2003 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\PowerPoint\Security\FileOpenBlock]
"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000000 - Use the Microsoft Office Isolated Conversion Environment (MOICE) when opening files from unknown or untrusted sources
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.
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 Office 2007 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.
MOICE requires all updates that are recommended for all Office programs. Visit Microsoft Update to install all recommended updates.
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.documentFor Excel, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .XLS=oice.excel.sheet
ASSOC .XLT=oice.excel.template
ASSOC .XLA=oice.excel.addinFor PowerPoint, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .PPT=oice.powerpoint.show
ASSOC .POT=oice.powerpoint.template
ASSOC .PPS=oice.powerpoint.slideshowNote 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 Microsoft Office 2007 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.8For Excel, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .xls=Excel.Sheet.8
ASSOC .xlt=Excel.Template
ASSOC .xla=Excel.AddinFor PowerPoint, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .ppt=PowerPoint.Show.8
ASSOC .PPS=oice.powerpoint.slideshow
ASSOC .pps=PowerPoint.SlideShow.8Note 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 Office files that you receive from untrusted sources or that you receive unexpectedly from trusted sources
Do not open Office 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 Excel Out of Bounds WriteAV Vulnerability - CVE-2011-1279
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 Excel validates record information upon opening a specially crafted Excel file, a memory handling error 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?
Exploitation of this vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted Excel file with an affected version of Microsoft Excel.
In an e-mail attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted Excel file 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 Excel 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 Excel file.
What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Systems where Microsoft Excel is used, such as workstations, 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 Microsoft Excel validates record information when parsing specially crafted Excel 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
Security Central
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."
For customers of Microsoft Office for Mac, Microsoft AutoUpdate for Mac can help keep your Microsoft software up to date. For more information about using Microsoft AutoUpdate for Mac, see Check for software updates automatically.
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.
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 |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Excel 2002 Service Pack 3 | Yes |
| Microsoft Excel 2003 Service Pack 3 | Yes |
| Microsoft Excel 2007 Service Pack 2 | Yes |
| Microsoft Excel 2010 (32-bit editions) | Yes |
| Microsoft Excel 2010 (64-bit editions) | Yes |
| Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac | No |
| Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac | No |
| Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 | No |
| Open XML File Format Converter for Mac | No |
| Microsoft Excel Viewer Service Pack 2 | Yes |
| Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats Service Pack 2 | Yes |
Note For customers using legacy software not supported by the latest release of MBSA, 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 security updates 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 2003 with ITMU | Configuration Manager 2007 |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Excel 2002 Service Pack 3 | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Excel 2003 Service Pack 3 | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Excel 2007 Service Pack 2 | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Excel 2010 (32-bit editions) | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Excel 2010 (64-bit editions) | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac | No | No |
| Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac | No | No |
| Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 | No | No |
| Open XML File Format Converter for Mac | No | No |
| Microsoft Excel Viewer Service Pack 2 | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats Service Pack 2 | Yes | Yes |
Note Microsoft discontinued support for SMS 2.0 on April 12, 2011. For SMS 2003, Microsoft also discontinued support for the Security Update Inventory Tool (SUIT) on April 12, 2011. Customers are encouraged to upgrade to System Center Configuration Manager 2007. For customers remaining on SMS 2003 Service Pack 3, the Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates (ITMU) is also an option.
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 Updates. - For creating a network installation point for supported versions of Microsoft Office, see Create a network installation point for Microsoft Office.
Note If you plan to manage security updates centrally, use Windows Server Update Services. For more information about how to deploy security updates for Microsoft Office, 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:
Excel 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-kb2541003-fullfile-enu.exe /q:a |
| Installing without restarting | OfficeXP-kb2541003-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 2541003 |
| 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 | ExcelFiles, EXCELNonBootFiles |
| EXCEL | ExcelFiles |
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.
Excel 2003 (all editions)
Reference Table
The following table contains the security update information for this software. You can find additional information in the Deployment Information subsection below.
| 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 | Office2003-kb2541025-fullfile-enu.exe /q:a |
| Installing without restarting | Office2003-kb2541025-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 | See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2541025 |
| 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 |
|---|---|
| STD11, BASIC11, PERS11, STDP11, PROI11, PRO11, PRO11SB | All |
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 the Start Search box.
- When the file appears under Programs, right-click the file name and click Properties.
- On the General tab, compare the file size with the file information tables provided in the bulletin KB article.
- You can also click 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 can also click 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.
Excel 2007 (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 | The update for this issue will be included in a future service pack or update rollup |
| Deployment | |
| Installing without user intervention | For Microsoft Excel 2007: excel2007-kb2541007-fullfile-x86-glb.exe /passive |
| For Microsoft Excel Viewer: Office-kb2541015-fullfile-x86-glb.exe /passive | |
| For Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats: Office2007-kb2541012-fullfile-x86-glb.exe /passive | |
| Installing without restarting | For Microsoft Excel 2007: excel2007-kb2541007-fullfile-x86-glb.exe /norestart |
| For Microsoft Excel Viewer: Office-kb2541015-fullfile-x86-glb.exe /norestart | |
| For Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats: Office2007-kb2541012-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 Microsoft Excel 2007, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2541007 |
| For Microsoft Excel Viewer, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2541015 | |
| For Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2541012 | |
| 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 the Start Search box.
- When the file appears under Programs, right-click the file name and click Properties.
- On the General tab, compare the file size with the file information tables provided in the bulletin KB article.
- You can also click 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 can also click 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.
Excel 2010 (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 | The update for this issue will be included in a future service pack or update rollup |
| Deployment | |
| Installing without user intervention | For Microsoft Excel 2010 (32-bit editions): Excel2010-kb2523021-fullfile-x86-glb.exe/passive |
| For Microsoft Excel 2010 (64-bit editions): Excel2010-kb2523021-fullfile-x64-glb.exe /passive | |
| Installing without restarting | For Microsoft Excel 2010 (32-bit editions): Excel2010-kb2523021-fullfile-x86-glb.exe /norestart |
| For Microsoft Excel 2010 (64-bit editions): Excel2010-kb2523021-fullfile-x64-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 | See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2523021 |
| 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 the Start Search box.
- When the file appears under Programs, right-click the file name and click Properties.
- On the General tab, compare the file size with the file information tables provided in the bulletin KB article.
- You can also click 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 can also click 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 11.6.4 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 11.6.4 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 11.6.4 Update volume window, double-click the Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.6.4 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 11.6.4 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 11.6.4, 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 12.3.0 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 2008 for Mac 12.3.0 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 12.3.0 Update volume window, double-click the Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac 12.3.0 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 2008 for Mac 12.3.0 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 2008: Office).
- Select the file, Microsoft Component Plugin.
- On the File menu, click Get Info or Show Info.
If the Version number is 12.3.0, 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 for Mac 2011
Deployment Information
Prerequisites
- Mac OS X version 10.5.8 or later on an Intel 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 for Mac 2011 14.1.2 Update from the Microsoft Download Center.
- Quit any applications that are running, including virus-protection applications and all Microsoft Office applications, because they might interfere with installation.
- Open the Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 14.1.2 Update volume on your desktop. This step might have been performed for you.
- To start the update process, in the Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 14.1.2 Update volume window, double-click the Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 14.1.2 Update application, and follow the instructions on the screen.
- When 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 for Mac 2011 14.1.2 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 2011).
- Select Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Outlook and launch the application.
- On the Application menu, click About Application_Name (where Application_Name is Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Outlook).
If the Latest Installed Update Version number is 14.1.2, 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 1.2.0 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 Open XML File Format Converter for Mac 1.2.0 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 1.2.0 Update volume window, double-click the Open XML File Format Converter for Mac 1.2.0 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 Open XML File Format Converter for Mac 1.2.0 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.
- Select the file, Open XML File Format Converter.
- On the File menu, click Get Info or Show Info.
If the Version number is 1.2.0, 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.
Other Information
Acknowledgments
Microsoft thanks the following for working with us to help protect customers:
- Bing Liu of Fortinet's FortiGuard Labs for reporting the Excel Insufficient Record Validation Vulnerability (CVE-2011-1272)
- An anonymous researcher, working with VeriSign iDefense Labs, for reporting the Excel Improper Record Parsing Vulnerability (CVE-2011-1273)
- Omair, working with VeriSign iDefense Labs, for reporting the Excel Out of Bounds Array Access Vulnerability (CVE-2011-1274)
- An Anonymous researcher, working with VeriSign iDefense Labs, for reporting the Excel Memory Heap Overwrite Vulnerability (CVE-2011-1275)
- Nicolas Gregoire of Agarri, working with VeriSign iDefense Labs, for reporting the Excel Buffer Overrun Vulnerability (CVE-2011-1276)
- Omair for reporting the Excel Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2011-1277)
- Will Dormann of the CERT/CC for reporting the Excel WriteAV Vulnerability (CVE-2011-1278)
- Will Dormann of the CERT/CC for reporting the Excel Out of Bounds WriteAV Vulnerability (CVE-2011-1279)
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 (June 14, 2011): Bulletin published.
- V1.1 (August 10, 2011): Removed two erroneous workarounds in this bulletin's vulnerability section for CVE-2011-1276. This is an informational change only.