Francisco H Tapia
my.lists at verizon.net
Wed Sep 3 17:14:35 CDT 2003
<I just posted a quick comment about this on the dba-tech list... I'm ccing to it in hopes that enough people will contribute to it on that list...> Question... it's a buffer overrun, exploited when a piece of malicious code is executed from an MS document such as word, access, excell or Visio... the question is, since all these formats support VBA, wouldn't the hacker, attacker, cracker or script kiddie instead just exploit the machine by accessing the standard API's? I mean it's not like he gets elevated rights by running in the buffer overrun, he runs in the user's context.... -- -Francisco Firebird the browser that blows the competition away. Can you feel the fire? Arthur Fuller wrote: > Just in case anyone missed this: > > -----Original Message----- > From: Microsoft > [mailto:0_51915_61265BE7-D473-3A42-A79A-179EB7E29A6B_CA at Newsletters.Micr > osoft.com] > Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2003 1:21 PM > To: afuller at etsys.com > Subject: Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-037: Flaw in Visual Basic for > Applications Could Allow Arbitrary Code Execution(822715) > > > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > > - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Title: Flaw in Visual Basic for Applications Could Allow > Arbitrary Code Execution (822715) > Date: 03 September 2003 > > Affected Software: > Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications SDK 5.0 > Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications SDK 6.0 > Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications SDK 6.2 > Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications SDK 6.3 > > Products which include the affected software: > Microsoft Access 97 > Microsoft Access 2000 > Microsoft Access 2002 > Microsoft Excel 97 > Microsoft Excel 2000 > Microsoft Excel 2002 > Microsoft PowerPoint 97 > Microsoft PowerPoint 2000 > Microsoft PowerPoint 2002 > Microsoft Project 2000 > Microsoft Project 2002 > Microsoft Publisher 2002 > Microsoft Visio 2000 > Microsoft Visio 2002 > Microsoft Word 97 > Microsoft Word 98(J) > Microsoft Word 2000 > Microsoft Word 2002 > Microsoft Works Suite 2001 > Microsoft Works Suite 2002 > Microsoft Works Suite 2003 > Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains 7.5 > Microsoft Business Solutions Dynamics 6.0 > Microsoft Business Solutions Dynamics 7.0 > Microsoft Business Solutions eEnterprise 6.0 > Microsoft Business Solutions eEnterprise 7.0 > Microsoft Business Solutions Solomon 4.5 > Microsoft Business Solutions Solomon 5.0 > Microsoft Business Solutions Solomon 5.5 > > Impact: Run code of attackers choice > Max Risk: Critical > Bulletin: MS03-037 > > Microsoft encourages customers to review the Security Bulletins > at: > http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-037.asp > http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/ms03-037.asp > - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Issue: > ====== > Microsoft VBA is a development technology for developing client > desktop packaged applications and integrating them with existing > data and systems. Microsoft VBA is based on the Microsoft Visual > Basic development system. Microsoft Office products include VBA > and make use of VBA to perform certain functions. VBA can also be > used to build customized applications based around an existing > host application. > > A flaw exists in the way VBA checks document properties passed to > it when a document is opened by the host application. A buffer > overrun exists which if exploited successfully could allow an > attacker to execute code of their choice in the context of the > logged on user. > > In order for an attack to be successful, a user would have to > open a specially crafted document sent to them by an attacker. > This document could be any type of document that supports VBA, > such as a Word document, Excel spreadsheet, PowerPoint > presentation. In the case where Microsoft Word is being used as > the HTML e-mail editor for Microsoft Outlook, this document could > be an e-mail, however the user would need to reply to, or forward > the mail message in order for the vulnerability to be exploited. > > Mitigating Factors: > ==================== > - -The user must open a document sent to them by an attacker in > order for this vulnerability to be exploited. > - -When Microsoft Word is being used as the HTML e-mail editor in > Outlook, a user would need to reply to or forward a malicious e- > mail document sent to them in order for this vulnerability to be > exploited. > - -An attacker's code could only run with the same rights as the > logged on user. The specific privileges the attacker could gain > through this vulnerability would therefore depend on the > privileges granted to the user. Any limitations on a user's > account, such as those applied through Group Policies, would also > limit the actions of any arbitrary code executed by this > vulnerability. > > Risk Rating: > ============ > - Critical > > Patch Availability: > =================== > - A patch is available to fix this vulnerability. Please read > the Security Bulletins at > http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms03-037.asp > http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/ms03-037.asp > for information on obtaining this patch. > > Acknowledgment: > =============== > - eEye Digital Security, http://www.eeye.com > > - --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > 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. 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