Microsoft Security Bulletin MS14-017 - Critical

Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Word and Office Web Apps Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2949660)

Published: April 8, 2014

Version: 1.0

General Information

Executive Summary

This security update resolves one publicly disclosed vulnerability and two privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office. The most severe of these vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a specially crafted file is opened or previewed in an affected version of Microsoft Office software. An attacker who successfully exploited these vulnerabilities could gain the same user rights as the current user. Customers whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than those who operate with administrative user rights.

This security update is rated Critical for Microsoft Word 2003, Microsoft Word 2007, Microsoft Word 2010, Microsoft Word 2013, Microsoft Word 2013 RT, and for affected Microsoft Office services and Web Apps on supported editions of Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013, and Microsoft Web Apps Server 2013. This security update is also rated Critical for supported versions of Microsoft Word Viewer and Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack. For more information, see the subsection, Affected and Non-Affected Software, in this section.

The security update addresses the vulnerabilities by correcting the way that Microsoft Office software parses specially crafted 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.

This security update also addresses the vulnerability first described in Microsoft Security Advisory 2953095.

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, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 294871.

For administrators and enterprise installations, or end users who want to install this security update manually, Microsoft recommends that customers apply the update immediately using update management software, or by checking for updates using the Microsoft Update service.

For customers of Microsoft Office for Mac, Microsoft AutoUpdate for Mac can be configured to deliver updates for Microsoft software directly to your system. For more information, see Check for Office for Mac updates automatically.

See also the section, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance, later in this bulletin.

Knowledge Base Article

  • Knowledge Base Article: 2949660
  • File information: Yes
  • SHA1/SHA2 hashes: Yes
  • Known issues: Yes

 

Affected and Non-Affected Software

The following software has 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, see Microsoft Support Lifecycle.

Affected Software

Software Component Maximum Security Impact Aggregate Severity Rating Updates Replaced
Microsoft Office 2003
Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3 Microsoft Word 2003 Service Pack 3 (2878303) Remote Code Execution Critical 2863866 in MS14-001
Microsoft Office 2007
Microsoft Office 2007 Service Pack 3 Microsoft Word 2007 Service Pack 3 (2878237) Remote Code Execution Critical 2837617 in MS14-001
Microsoft Office 2010
Microsoft Office 2010 Service Pack 1 (32-bit editions) Microsoft Word 2010 Service Pack 1 (32-bit editions) (2863926) Remote Code Execution Critical 2863902 in MS14-001
Microsoft Office 2010 Service Pack 2 (32-bit editions) Microsoft Word 2010 Service Pack 2 (32-bit editions) (2863926) Remote Code Execution Critical 2863902 in MS14-001
Microsoft Office 2010 Service Pack 1 (32-bit editions) Microsoft Word 2010 Service Pack 1 (32-bit editions) (2863919) Remote Code Execution Critical 2863901 in MS14-001
Microsoft Office 2010 Service Pack 2 (32-bit editions) Microsoft Word 2010 Service Pack 2 (32-bit editions) (2863919) Remote Code Execution Critical 2863901 in MS14-001
Microsoft Office 2010 Service Pack 1 (64-bit editions) Microsoft Word 2010 Service Pack 1 (64-bit editions) (2863926) Remote Code Execution Critical 2863902 in MS14-001
Microsoft Office 2010 Service Pack 2 (64-bit editions) Microsoft Word 2010 Service Pack 2 (64-bit editions) (2863926) Remote Code Execution Critical 2863902 in MS14-001
Microsoft Office 2010 Service Pack 1 (64-bit editions) Microsoft Word 2010 Service Pack 1 (64-bit editions) (2863919) Remote Code Execution Critical 2863901 in MS14-001
Microsoft Office 2010 Service Pack 2 (64-bit editions) Microsoft Word 2010 Service Pack 2 (64-bit editions) (2863919) Remote Code Execution Critical 2863901 in MS14-001
Microsoft Office 2013 and Microsoft Office 2013 RT
Microsoft Office 2013 (32-bit editions) Microsoft Word 2013 (32-bit editions) (2863910) Remote Code Execution Critical 2827224 in MS14-001
Microsoft Office 2013 Service Pack 1 (32-bit editions) Microsoft Word 2013 Service Pack 1 (32-bit editions) (2863910) Remote Code Execution Critical None
Microsoft Office 2013 (64-bit editions) Microsoft Word 2013 (64-bit editions) (2863910) Remote Code Execution Critical 2827224 in MS14-001
Microsoft Office 2013 Service Pack 1 (64-bit editions) Microsoft Word 2013 Service Pack 1 (64-bit editions) (2863910) Remote Code Execution Critical None
Microsoft Office 2013 RT Microsoft Word 2013 RT[1](2863910) Remote Code Execution Critical 2827224 in MS14-001
Microsoft Office 2013 RT Service Pack 1 Microsoft Word 2013 RT Service Pack 1[1](2863910) Remote Code Execution Critical None
Microsoft Office for Mac
Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 (2939132) Not applicable Remote Code Execution Critical 2889496 in MS13-085
Other Office Software
Microsoft Word Viewer (2878304) Not applicable Remote Code Execution Critical 2863867 in MS14-001
Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack Service Pack 3 (2878236) Not applicable Remote Code Execution Critical 2837615 in MS14-001

**[1]**This update is available via Windows Update.

 

Microsoft Office Services and Web Apps

Software Component Maximum Security Impact Aggregate Severity Rating Updates Replaced
Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 Service Pack 1
Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 Service Pack 1 Word Automation Services (2878220) Remote Code Execution Critical 2837577 in MS14-001
Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 Service Pack 2 Word Automation Services (2878220) Remote Code Execution Critical 2837577 in MS14-001
Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013
Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013 Word Automation Services (2863907) Remote Code Execution Critical 2837625 in MS14-001
Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013 Service Pack 1 Word Automation Services (2863907) Remote Code Execution Critical 2837625 in MS14-001
Microsoft Office Web Apps 2010
Microsoft Office Web Apps 2010 Service Pack 1 Microsoft Web Applications 2010 Service Pack 1 (2878221) Remote Code Execution Critical 2837596 in MS14-001
Microsoft Office Web Apps 2010 Service Pack 2 Microsoft Web Applications 2010 Service Pack 2 (2878221) Remote Code Execution Critical 2837596 in MS14-001
Microsoft Office Web Apps 2013
Microsoft Office Web Apps 2013 Microsoft Office Web Apps Server 2013 (2878219) Remote Code Execution Critical 2863879 in MS14-001
Microsoft Office Web Apps 2013 Service Pack 1 Microsoft Office Web Apps Server 2013 Service Pack 1[2](2878219) Remote Code Execution Critical None

**[2]**Microsoft has removed the download link because we are aware of installation issues with the 2878219 update when applied to systems running Microsoft Office Web Apps Server 2013 Service Pack 1. For more information about the installation issue, see the known issues section in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2878219.

 

Update FAQ

If I applied the automated Microsoft Fix it solution for Microsoft Office in Microsoft Security Advisory 2953095, do I need to undo the workaround before applying this update?
Customers who implemented the Microsoft Fix it solution, "Disable opening RTF content in Microsoft Word," in Microsoft Security Advisory 2953095, do not need to undo the Microsoft Fix it solution before applying this update.

However, since the workaround is no longer needed, customers may wish to undo the workaround after installing this update in order to be able to open and view RTF-formatted files in Microsoft Word. See the vulnerability workarounds for CVE-2014-1761 in this bulletin for more information on how to undo this workaround.

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.

I have Microsoft Word 2010 installed. Why am I not being offered the 2863919 update?
The 2863919 update only applies to systems running specific configurations of Microsoft Office 2010. Other systems will not be offered the update.

What updates apply to Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010?
For supported editions of Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, the following update applies only to the specific component:

  • Word Automation Services (2878220)

Note By default, Word Automation Services is a service that installs and runs with a stand-alone SharePoint Server 2010 installation. If you are using SharePoint Server 2010 in a server farm, you must explicitly enable Word Automation Services.

Microsoft Web Applications 2010 is an optional feature that can be deployed on SharePoint Server 2010 and SharePoint Foundation 2010 installations.

What updates apply to Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013?
For supported editions of Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013, the following update applies only to the specific component:

  • Word Automation Services (2863907)

Note By default, Word Automation Services is a service that installs and runs with a stand-alone SharePoint Server 2013 installation. If you are using SharePoint 2013 in a server farm, you must explicitly enable Word Automation Services.

What update applies to Microsoft Office Web Apps Server 2013?
The following update applies:

  • Microsoft Office Web Apps Server 2013 (2878219)

Note Microsoft Office Web Apps Server 2013 is a stand-alone Office server product.

I am being offered this update for software I do not have installed on my system. Why am I being offered this update?
Due to the servicing model for Microsoft Office updates, you may be offered updates for software that you do not have installed on your system. For example, you may be offered an update for a Microsoft Office product even though you do not have the specific Office product installed. For more information on this behavior and recommended actions, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 830335.

What components of the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack are updated by this bulletin?
The update included with this security bulletin applies only to the specific component within the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack 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.

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 Word is affected with the same severity rating as an installation of Microsoft Word that was delivered with a Microsoft Office Suite.

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 has been tested to determine which releases are affected. Other releases are past their support life cycle. For more information about the product lifecycle, see the Microsoft Support Lifecycle website.

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 Service Pack Lifecycle Support Policy.

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, see the Microsoft Worldwide Information website, 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.

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 April bulletin summary. For more information, see Microsoft Exploitability Index.

Vulnerability Severity Rating and Maximum Security Impact by Affected Software
Affected Software Microsoft Office File Format Converter Vulnerability - CVE-2014-1757 Microsoft Word Stack Overflow Vulnerability - CVE-2014-1758 Word RTF Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2014-1761 Aggregate Severity Rating
Microsoft Office 2003
Microsoft Word 2003 Service Pack 3 Not applicable Important  Remote Code Execution Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Microsoft Office 2007
Microsoft Word 2007 Service Pack 3 Important Remote Code Execution Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Microsoft Office 2010
Microsoft Word 2010 Service Pack 1 (32-bit editions) Important Remote Code Execution Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Microsoft Word 2010 Service Pack 2 (32-bit editions) Important Remote Code Execution Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Microsoft Word 2010 Service Pack 1 (64-bit editions) Important Remote Code Execution Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Microsoft Word 2010 Service Pack 2 (64-bit editions) Important  Remote Code Execution Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Microsoft Office 2013 and Microsoft Office 2013 RT
Microsoft Word 2013 (32-bit editions) Not applicable Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Microsoft Word 2013 Service Pack 1 (32-bit editions) Not applicable Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Microsoft Word 2013 (64-bit editions) Not applicable Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Microsoft Word 2013 Service Pack 1 (64-bit editions) Not applicable Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Microsoft Word 2013 RT Not applicable Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Microsoft Word 2013 RT Service Pack 1 Not applicable Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Microsoft Office for Mac
Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 Not applicable Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Other Office Software
Microsoft Word Viewer Not applicable Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack Service Pack 3 Important  Remote Code Execution Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical

Microsoft Office Services and Web Apps

Vulnerability Severity Rating and Maximum Security Impact by Affected Software
Affected Software Microsoft Office File Format Converter Vulnerability - CVE-2014-1757 Microsoft Word Stack Overflow Vulnerability - CVE-2014-1758 Word RTF Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2014-1761 Aggregate Severity Rating
Microsoft SharePoint Designer
Word Automation Services on Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 Service Pack 1 Not applicable Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Word Automation Services on Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 Service Pack 2 Not applicable Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Word Automation Services on Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 Service Pack 2 Not applicable Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Word Automation Services on Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 Service Pack 2 Not applicable Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Word Automation Services on Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 Service Pack 2 Not applicable Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013
Word Automation Services on Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013 Not applicable Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Word Automation Services on Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013 Service Pack 1 Not applicable Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Microsoft Office Web Apps 2010
Microsoft Web Applications 2010 Service Pack 1 Not applicable Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Microsoft Web Applications 2010 Service Pack 2 Not applicable Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Microsoft Office Web Apps 2013
Microsoft Office Web Apps Server 2013 Not applicable Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical
Microsoft Office Web Apps Server 2013 Service Pack 1 Not applicable Not applicable Critical  Remote Code Execution Critical

Microsoft Office File Format Converter Vulnerability - CVE-2014-1757

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that affected Microsoft Office software converts specially crafted files. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code as the current user. If the current 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.

To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2014-1757.

Mitigating Factors

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 email. For an attack to be successful a user must open an attachment that is sent in an email message.
  • In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a website that contains a specially crafted Office file that is used to attempt to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised websites and websites 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 view attacker controlled content. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to take action, typically by getting them to click a link in an email message or Instant Messenger message that takes users to the attacker’s website, and then convince them to open the specially crafted Office file.
  • An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the current user. Customers whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than those who operate with administrative user rights.

Workarounds

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

What is the scope of the vulnerability?
This is a remote code execution vulnerability in the context of the current user.

What causes the vulnerability?
The vulnerability is caused when affected Microsoft Office software does not properly allocate memory while attempting to convert specially crafted, binary-formatted Word documents (.doc) to newer file formats.

What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do?
An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user. If the current 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 the vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Office software.

In an email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted file to the user and by convincing the user to open the file in an affected version of Microsoft Office software.

In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a website that contains a file that is used to attempt to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised websites and websites 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 website. Instead, an attacker would have to convince them to visit the website, typically by getting them to click a link in an email message or Instant Messenger message that takes them to the attacker's site, and then convince them to open the specially crafted file in an affected version of Microsoft Office software.

In an attack scenario using the Microsoft Office Isolated Conversion Environment (MOICE), an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted file to the user and by convincing the user to convert the file using MOICE.

What is MOICE?
The Microsoft Office Isolated Conversion Environment (MOICE) feature that is added to the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack is used to more securely open Word, Excel, and PowerPoint binary format files. For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 935865.

Note MOICE does not mitigate this vulnerability.

What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Systems where affected Microsoft Office software is used, including workstations and terminal servers, are primarily at risk. Servers could be at more risk if administrators allow users to log on to servers and to run programs. However, best practices strongly discourage allowing this.

What does the update do?
This update addresses the vulnerability by helping to ensure that affected Microsoft Office software, including MOICE, correctly allocates memory when converting specially crafted Word documents.

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.

Microsoft Word Stack Overflow Vulnerability - CVE-2014-1758

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Word parses specially crafted files. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code as the current user. If the current 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.

To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2014-1758.

Mitigating Factors

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 email. For an attack to be successful a user must open an attachment that is sent in an email message.
  • In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a website that contains a specially crafted Office file that is used to attempt to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised websites and websites 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 view attacker controlled content. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to take action, typically by getting them to click a link in an email message or Instant Messenger message that takes users to the attacker’s website, and then convince them to open the specially crafted Office file.
  • An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the current user. Customers whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than those who operate with administrative user rights.

Workarounds

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

What is the scope of the vulnerability?
This is a remote code execution vulnerability in the context of the current user.

What causes the vulnerability?
The vulnerability is caused when Microsoft Word does not properly handle objects in memory while parsing specially crafted Office files. System memory may be corrupted 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 in the context of the current user. If the current 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 file with an affected version of Microsoft Office software.

In an email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted file to the user and by convincing the user to open the file in an affected version of Microsoft Office software.

In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a website that contains a file that is used to attempt to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised websites and websites 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 website. Instead, an attacker would have to convince them to visit the website, typically by getting them to click a link in an email message or Instant Messenger message that takes them to the attacker's site, and then convince them to open the specially crafted file in an affected version of Microsoft Office software.

What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Systems where affected Microsoft Office software is used, including workstations and terminal servers, are primarily at risk. Servers could be at more risk if administrators allow users to log on to servers and to run programs. However, best practices strongly discourage allowing this.

What does the update do?
This update addresses the vulnerability by correcting the way that Microsoft Office parses specially crafted files.

When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed?
No. Microsoft received information about this vulnerability through coordinated vulnerability disclosure.

When this security bulletin was issued, had Microsoft received any reports that this vulnerability was being exploited?
No. Microsoft had not received any information to indicate that this vulnerability had been publicly used to attack customers when this security bulletin was originally issued.

Word RTF Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2014-1761

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Word parses specially crafted files. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code as the current user. If the current 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.

To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2014-1761.

Mitigating Factors

Mitigation refers to a setting, common configuration, or general best-practice, existing in a default state, that could reduce the severity of exploitation of a vulnerability. The following mitigating factors may be helpful in your situation:

  • An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the current user. Customers whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than those who operate with administrative user rights.
  • In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a website that contains a specially crafted RTF file that is used to attempt to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised websites and websites 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 view attacker controlled content. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to take action, typically by getting them to click a link in an email message or Instant Messenger message that takes users to the attacker’s website, and then convince them to open the specially crafted RTF file.

Workarounds

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:

  • Apply the Microsoft Fix it solution, "Disable opening RTF content in Microsoft Word", that prevents exploitation of this issue

    See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2949660 to use the automated Microsoft Fix it solution to enable or disable this workaround.

    Note This Microsoft Fix it solution configures the Microsoft Office File Block policy to prevent the opening of RTF files in supported versions of Microsoft Word.

 

  • Read emails in plain text

    To help protect yourself from the email attack vector, read email messages in plain text format.

    Microsoft Outlook 2003, Microsoft Outlook 2007, Microsoft Outlook 2010, and Microsoft Outlook 2013 provide an option for reading email messages in plain text format. For more information about the Read all standard mail in plain text option, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 831607 and Read email messages in plain text.

    Microsoft Office Outlook 2002 users who have applied Office XP Service Pack 1, Office XP Service Pack 2, or Office XP Service Pack 3 can enable this setting and view in plain text only those email messages that are not digitally signed or email messages that are not encrypted. Digitally signed email messages or encrypted email messages are not affected by the setting and may be read in their original formats. For more information about how to enable this setting in Outlook 2002, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 307594.

    Impact of workaround. Email messages that are viewed in plain text format will not contain pictures, specialized fonts, animations, or other rich content. In addition, the following behavior may be experienced:

    • The changes are applied to the preview pane and to open messages.
    • Pictures become attachments so that they are not lost.
    • Because the message is still in Rich Text or HTML format in the store, the object model (custom code solutions) may behave unexpectedly.

 

  • Use Microsoft Office File Block policy to prevent the opening of RTF files in Microsoft Word 2007, Microsoft Word 2010, and Microsoft Word 2013

    You can block specific types of files from being opened or saved in Excel, PowerPoint, and Word by configuring settings in either Group Policy or the Office Customization Tool (OCT). For more information about preventing users from opening specific types of files in Microsoft Office, see Plan File block settings.

    To use file block to help protect from exploitation of the vulnerability, configure file block to block RTF files for affected versions of Microsoft Word.

 

  • Use Microsoft Office File Block policy to prevent the opening of RTF files in Microsoft Word 2003

    Note Modifying the Registry incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from incorrect modification of the Registry can be solved. Modify the Registry at your own risk.

    For Office 2003

    The following registry scripts can be used to set the File Block policy.

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Security\FileOpenBlock]
    "RtfFiles"=dword:00000001
    

    Note In order to use 'FileOpenBlock' with Microsoft Office 2003, all of the latest security updates for Microsoft Office 2003 must be applied.

    Impact 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 RTF files. 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 Office 2003

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Security\FileOpenBlock]
    "RtfFiles"=dword:00000000
    
  • For Microsoft Office for Mac 2011, disassociate RTF files from Mac Office in OS X's LaunchServices database

    Note This workaround prevents files with the .rtf extension from being automatically opened through file format association. However, users are still vulnerable if they choose to manually open malicious files from within an Office application.

    Use this workaround to prevent Microsoft Office for Mac from opening .rtf files directly and to designate the Finder as the default method for opening .rtf files.

    To do this, open the Finder and perform the following steps:

    1. Select .rtf for the file format you want to disassociate and press Command-I to open the Info dialog box.
    2. In the Open With section, select Other from the menu.
    3. In the Open dialog window that appears, select All Applications from the Enable menu.
    4. Navigate to the MacIntosh HD > System > Library > CoreServices folder and select Finder.
    5. Click Change All in the Info window to make the Finder the default program for opening all files in the selected file format.

    Note You will need to re-apply this workaround if you clean your LaunchServices database. Cleaning the LaunchServices database removes your customizations and resets the values from the applications info.plist.

    Impact of Workaround Files with the .rtf extension will no longer automatically open through file format association. Instead, when you attempt to open an .rtf file through file format association, the Finder will appear and you can choose to open the file.

FAQ

What is the scope of the vulnerability?
This is a remote code execution vulnerability in the context of the current user.

What causes the vulnerability?
The vulnerability is caused when Microsoft Word does not properly handle objects in memory while parsing specially crafted Office files. System memory may be corrupted in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code.

How is Microsoft Outlook affected by the vulnerability?
Outlook is not directly affected because the vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word. However, if Word is the selected email reader, which is the default case in Microsoft Outlook 2007, Outlook 2010, and Outlook 2013, then an attacker could leverage Outlook for the email attack vector to exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted RTF email message to the target user.

What is RTF?
Rich Text Format (RTF) is a method of encoding formatted text and graphics for use within applications and for transfer between applications. Users often depend on special translation software to move word-processing documents between various applications developed by different companies. RTF serves as both a standard of data transfer between word processing software, document formatting, and a means of migrating content from one operating system to another.

What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do?
An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the current user. If the current user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.

How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability?
This vulnerability requires that a user open or preview specially crafted RTF-formatted data with an affected version of Microsoft Office software.

In an email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending specially crafted RTF-formatted data in the contents of an email message. The vulnerability could be exploited when the specially crafted RTF email message is previewed or opened in Outlook while using Microsoft Word as the email viewer. An attacker could also exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted RTF file as an attachment and convincing the user to open or preview the specially crafted RTF file. Note that by default, Microsoft Word is the email reader in Outlook 2007, Outlook 2010, and Outlook 2013.

In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a website that contains a specially crafted RTF file that is used to attempt to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised websites and websites that accept or host user-provided content could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. In all cases, an attacker would have no way to force users to view the attacker-controlled content. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to take action, 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 RTF file.

Does EMET help mitigate attacks that try to exploit this vulnerability?
Yes. The Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET) enables users to manage security mitigation technologies that help make it more difficult for attackers to exploit vulnerabilities in a given piece of software. EMET helps to mitigate this vulnerability in Microsoft Office software on systems where EMET is installed and configured to work with Microsoft Office software.

For more information about EMET, see The Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit.

What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Systems where Microsoft Office is used, including workstations and terminal servers, are primarily at risk. SharePoint servers that allow conversion of Word files using Word Automation Services and systems running Microsoft Office Web Apps are also at risk.

What does the update do?
This update addresses the vulnerability by correcting the way that Microsoft Office parses specially crafted files.

When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed?
Yes. This vulnerability has been publicly disclosed. It has been assigned Common Vulnerability and Exposure number CVE-2014-1761. This vulnerability was first described in Microsoft Security Advisory 2953095.

When this security bulletin was issued, had Microsoft received any reports that this vulnerability was being exploited?
Yes. Microsoft is aware of limited, targeted attacks that attempt to exploit this vulnerability.

Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance

Several resources are available to help administrators deploy security updates.

  • Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) lets administrators scan local and remote systems for missing security updates and common security misconfigurations. 
  • Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), Systems Management Server (SMS), and System Center Configuration Manager help administrators distribute security updates. 
  • The Update Compatibility Evaluator components included with Application Compatibility Toolkit aid in streamlining the testing and validation of Windows updates against installed applications. 

For more information about these tools and guidance in deploying security updates across networks, see Security Tools for IT Pros

For customers of Microsoft Office for Mac, Microsoft AutoUpdate for Mac can help keep your Microsoft software up to date. For more information, see Check for Office for Mac updates automatically.

Security Update Deployment

Microsoft Office 2003 (all editions) and Word Viewer

Reference Table

The following table contains the security update information for this software.

Security update file name For Microsoft Office 2003:\ office2003-kb2878303-fullfile-enu.exe
\ For Microsoft Word Viewer:\ office-kb2878304-fullfile-enu.exe
Installation switches See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 197147
Restart requirement 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.
Removal information Use Add or Remove Programs item 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 item in Control Panel. There are several possible causes for this issue. For more information about the removal, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 903771.
File information For Microsoft Office 2003:\ See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2878303
\ For Microsoft Word Viewer:\ See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2878304
Registry key verification Not applicable

Microsoft Office 2007 (all editions) and Office Compatibility Pack

Reference Table

The following table contains the security update information for this software.

Security update file name For Microsoft Office 2007:\ word2007-kb2878237-fullfile-x86-glb.exe
\ For Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack:\ wordconv2007-kb2878236-fullfile-x86-glb.exe
Installation switches See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 912203
Restart requirement 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.
Removal information Use Add or Remove Programs item in Control Panel.
File information For Microsoft Office 2007:\ See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2878237
\ For Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack:\ See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2878236
Registry key verification Not applicable

Microsoft Office 2010 (all editions)

Reference Table

The following table contains the security update information for this software.

Security update file name For Microsoft Office 2010 (32-bit editions):\ word2010-kb2863926-fullfile-x86-glb.exe\ kb24286772010-kb2863919-fullfile-x86-glb.exe
\ For Microsoft Office 2010 (64-bit editions):\ word2010-kb2863926-fullfile-x64-glb.exe\ kb24286772010-kb2863919-fullfile-x64-glb.exe
Installation switches See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 912203
Restart requirement 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.
Removal information Use Add or Remove Programs item in Control Panel.
File information For Microsoft Office 2010:\ See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2863926 and Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2863919
Registry key verification Not applicable

Microsoft Word 2013 (all editions)

Reference Table

The following table contains the security update information for this software.

Security update file name For supported editions of Microsoft Office 2013 (32-bit editions):\ word2013-kb2863910-fullfile-x86-glb.exe
\ For supported editions of Microsoft Office 2013 (64-bit editions):\ word2013-kb2863910-fullfile-x64-glb.exe
Installation switches See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 912203
Restart requirement 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.
Removal information Use Add or Remove Programs item in Control Panel.
File information For supported editions of Microsoft Office 2013:\ See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2863910
Registry key verification Not applicable

Microsoft Office 2013 RT (all editions)

Reference Table

The following table contains the security update information for this software.

Deployment The 2863910 update for supported editions of Microsoft Office 2013 RT is available via Windows Update.
Restart requirement 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.
Removal information Click Control Panel, click System and Security, click Windows Update, and then under See also, click Installed updates and select from the list of updates.
File information See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2863910

Office for Mac 2011

Prerequisites

  • Mac OS X version 10.5.8 or later version 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 14.4.1 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 14.4.1 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 14.4.1 Update volume window, double-click the Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 14.4.1 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 14.4.1 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:

  1. In the Finder, navigate to the Application Folder (Microsoft Office 2011).
  2. Select Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Outlook and launch the application.
  3. 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 14.4.1, 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, see Microsoft for Mac Support to learn about the support options that are available to you.

 

SharePoint Server 2010 (all editions)

Reference Table

The following table contains the security update information for this software.

Security update file name For Word Automation Services on supported editions of Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010:\ wdsrv2010-2878220-fullfile-x64-glb.exe
Installation switches See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 912203
Restart requirement 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.
Removal information This security update cannot be removed.
File information For Word Automation Services on Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010:\ See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2878220
Registry key verification Not applicable

SharePoint Server 2013 (all editions)

Reference Table

The following table contains the security update information for this software.

Security update file name For Word Automation Services on supported editions of Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013:\ wdsrv2013-kb2863907-fullfile-x64-glb.exe
Installation switches See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 912203
Restart requirement 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.
Removal information This security update cannot be removed.
File information For Word Automation Services on Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013:\ See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2863907
Registry key verification Not applicable

Office Web Apps 2010 (all versions)

Reference Table

The following table contains the security update information for this software.

Security update file name For supported versions of Word Web App 2010:\ wac2010-kb2878221-fullfile-x64-glb.exe
Installation switches See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 912203
Restart requirement 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.
Removal information This security update cannot be removed.
File iInformation For supported versions of Word Web App 2010:\ See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2878221
Registry key verification Not applicable

Office Web Apps Server 2013 (all versions)

Reference Table

The following table contains the security update information for this software.

Security update file name For supported versions of Microsoft Office Web Apps Server 2013:\ wacserver2013-kb2878219-fullfile-x64-glb.exe
Installation switches See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 912203
Restart requirement 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.
Removal information This security update cannot be removed.
File iInformation For Microsoft Office Web Apps Server 2013:\ Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2878219
Registry key verification Not applicable

Acknowledgments

Microsoft thanks the following for working with us to help protect customers:

  • Will Dormann of the CERT/CC for reporting the Microsoft Office File Format Converter Vulnerability (CVE-2014-1757)
  • Yuhong Bao for reporting the Microsoft Word Stack Overflow Vulnerability (CVE-2014-1758)
  • Drew Hintz, Shane Huntley, and Matty Pellegrino of the Google Security Team for reporting the Word RTF Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2014-1761)
  • Yoni Ramon
  • Kyle Osborn

Other Information

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 go to the active protections websites provided by program partners, listed in Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP) Partners.

Support

How to obtain help and support for this security update

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 (April 8, 2014): Bulletin published.

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