Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities

Last Update Date: 16 Dec 2014 Release Date: 10 Dec 2014 3816 Views

RISK: High Risk

TYPE: Clients - Productivity Products

Global Free Remote Code Execution in Excel Vulnerability
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in how Microsoft Excel improperly handles 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. 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.

Systems where affected Microsoft Excel 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. Exploitation of this vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Office software.

Excel Invalid Pointer Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in how Microsoft Excel improperly handles 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. 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. Microsoft received information about this vulnerability through coordinated vulnerability disclosure. When this security bulletin was issued, Microsoft had not received any information to indicate that this vulnerability had been publicly used to attack customers.

Systems where affected Microsoft Excel 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. Exploitation of this vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Office software.