Security Bulletin

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-011 - Important

Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Works File Converter Could Allow Remote Code Execution (947081)

Published: February 12, 2008 | Updated: April 16, 2008

Version: 1.1

General Information

Executive Summary

This important security update resolves three privately reported vulnerabilities in the Microsoft Works File Converter. These vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted Works (.wps) file with an affected version of Microsoft Office, Microsoft Works, or Microsoft Works Suite. 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.

This is an important security update for all supported editions of Microsoft Works Converter. For more information, see the subsection, Affected and Non-Affected Software, in this section.

The security update addresses these vulnerabilities by replacing the vulnerable version of the Works Converter on a system. For more information about the vulnerability, see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) subsection for the specific vulnerability entry under the next section, Vulnerability Information.

Recommendation.  Microsoft recommends that customers apply the update immediately.

Known Issues. Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 947081 documents the currently known issues that customers may experience when they install this security update. The article also documents recommended solutions for these issues.

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, visit Microsoft Support Lifecycle.

Affected Software

Office Suite and Other Affected Software Component Maximum Security Impact Aggregate Severity Rating Bulletins Replaced by this Update
Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 2 Microsoft Works 6 File Converter\ (KB943973) Remote Code Execution Moderate None
Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3 Microsoft Works 6 File Converter\ (KB943973) Remote Code Execution Moderate None
Microsoft Works 8.0 Microsoft Works 6 File Converter\ (KB943973) Remote Code Execution Important None
Microsoft Works Suite 2005 Microsoft Works 6 File Converter\ (KB943973) Remote Code Execution Important None

Non-Affected Software

Office Suite
Microsoft Works 8.5
Microsoft Works 9.0
Microsoft Works Suite 2006
2007 Microsoft Office System
Microsoft Office 2000
Microsoft Office XP

I use Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 2. Are any additional security features included in this update?
Yes, as part of the servicing model for Microsoft Office 2003, when users of Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 2 install this update, their systems will be upgraded to security functionality that was initially released with Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3. All updates released after January 1, 2008 for Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 2 will include these security features, which were introduced in Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3. We have thoroughly tested this update, but as with all updates, we recommend that users perform testing appropriate to the environment and configuration of their systems. For more information on this issue, please see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 951646.

What is the Microsoft Works File Converter used for?
The Microsoft Works File Converter is a set of converters that allows Microsoft Office applications to open, edit, and save files in the Works file format supported by Works versions 6, 7, 8, and 9.

What does this update do to address the vulnerabilities discussed in this bulletin?
This update replaces the vulnerable version of the Works File Converter on an affected system with a non-affected version of the converter. However, after this update is installed and the first time a user attempts to open a .wps file, they will be prompted to download the Microsoft Works 6 - 9 Converter from the Microsoft Download Center. Once the Microsoft Works 6 - 9 Converter is installed on a system, the user will not be prompted to install the Microsoft Works 6 - 9 Converter again.

Why doesn’t this update install the Microsoft Works 6-9 File Converter with this bulletin?
The Microsoft Works 6-9 File Converter binaries were not offered through the standard security bulletin process to allow customers the choice of installing the updated version of the converter if they required its functionality.

Will my system be protected if I only install this update and not the Microsoft Works 6-9 File Converter?
Yes, once this update is applied to an affected system, it will be protected from the vulnerabilities discussed in this bulletin regardless of whether the Microsoft Works 6-9 File Converter is installed.

What are the known issues that customers may experience when installing this security update?
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 947081 documents the currently known issues that customers may experience when they install this security update. The article also documents recommended solutions for these issues.

Why does this update address several reported security vulnerabilities?
This update contains updates for several vulnerabilities because the root cause of the issues are similarly related. Instead of having to install several updates that are almost the same, customers need to install this update only.

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. To determine the support life cycle for your software release, visit Microsoft Support Lifecycle.

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. For more information about the Windows Product Lifecycle, visit Microsoft Support Lifecycle. For more information about the extended security update support period for these software versions or editions, visit Microsoft Product Support Services.

Customers who require custom support for older releases 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 Microsoft Worldwide Information, select the country, 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 Windows Operating System Product Support Lifecycle FAQ.

Vulnerability Information

Severity Ratings and Vulnerability Identifiers

Office Suite and Other Affected Software Microsoft Works File Converter Input Validation Vulnerability - CVE-2007-0216 Microsoft Works File Converter Index Table Vulnerability - CVE-2008-0105 Microsoft Works File Converter Field Length Vulnerability - CVE-2008-0108 Aggregate Severity Rating
Microsoft Works 6 File Converter on Microsoft Office 2003 Moderate\ Remote Code Execution Moderate\ Remote Code Execution Moderate\ Remote Code Execution Moderate
Microsoft Works 6 File Converter on Microsoft Works 8.0 Important\ Remote Code Execution Important\ Remote Code Execution Important\ Remote Code Execution Important
Microsoft Works 6 File Converter on Microsoft Works Suite 2005 Important\ Remote Code Execution Important\ Remote Code Execution Important\ Remote Code Execution Important

Microsoft Works File Converter Input Validation Vulnerability - CVE-2007-0216

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Works File Converter due to the way that it improperly validates section length headers with the .wps format. 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.

To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2007-0216.

Mitigating Factors for Microsoft Works File Converter Input Validation Vulnerability - CVE-2008-0216

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

  • An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
  • In a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a Web site that contains a Web page that is used to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, Web sites that accept or host user-provided content, or compromised Web sites and advertisement servers could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. Instead, an attacker would have to persuade 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.
  • 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.

Workarounds for Microsoft Works File Converter Input Validation Vulnerability - CVE-2007-0216

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:

  • Disable installed copies of the Works File Converter by restricting access to WKCVQD01.DLL

    To manually restrict access to the WKCVQD01.DLL, run the following commands from the command line:

    Note You will need administrator privileges to set these file restrictions.

    For Windows XP:

    echo y| cacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /E /P everyone:N

    For Windows Vista:

    takeown.exe /f "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll"

    icacls.exe "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /save %TEMP%\wkcvqd01 _ACL.TXT

    icacls.exe "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /deny everyone:(F)

    Impact of workaround: After applying these changed, users will no longer be able to open Microsoft Works files in Microsoft Office.

    Rollback: Run the following commands from a command prompt:

    For Windows XP:

    cacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /E /R everyone

    For Windows Vista:

    icacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /grant everyone:(F)

    icacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv" /restore %TEMP%\wkcvqd01_ACL.TXT

  • Prevent WKCVQD01.DLL from being installed

    To manually restrict WKCVQD01.DLL from being installed, run the following commands from the command line:

    Note You will need administrator privileges to set these file restrictions.

    For Windows XP:

    md "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\"

    echo Placeholder > "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll"

    echo y| cacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /E /P everyone:N

    For Windows Vista:

    md "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\"

    echo Placeholder > "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll"

    icacls.exe "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /deny everyone:(F)

    Impact of Workaround: After applying these changes, users will no longer be able to install Microsoft Works File Converters nor open Microsoft Works files in Microsoft Office.

    Rollback: Run the following commands from a command prompt:

    For Windows XP:

    cacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /E /R everyone

    echo y| del "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll"

    For Windows Vista:

    icacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /grant everyone:(F)

    echo y| del "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll"

  • Do not open or save Microsoft Works 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 Microsoft Works File Converter Input Validation Vulnerability - CVE-2007-0216

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.

What causes the vulnerability?
The vulnerability is caused by the way that Microsoft Works does not properly validate section length headers in files with the .wps file format.

What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do?
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. If a user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker could take complete control of the affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability?
This vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted .wps file with an affected version of Microsoft Office, Microsoft Works, or Microsoft Works Suite.

In an e-mail 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 a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker would have to host a Web site that contains a Word file that is used to attempt to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised Web sites and Web sites that accept or host user-provided content could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit these Web sites. Instead, an attacker would have to persuade them to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link that takes them to the attacker's site.

What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Workstations and terminal servers that have the affected versions of Microsoft Office, Microsoft Works Suite, or Microsoft Works installed are primarily at risk. Servers could be at more risk if administrators allow users to log on to servers and to run programs. However, best practices strongly discourage allowing this.

What does the update do?
This update replaces the vulnerable version of the Works File Converter on an affected system with a non-affected version of the converter.

When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed?
No. Microsoft received information about this vulnerability through responsible 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 and had not seen any examples of proof of concept code published when this security bulletin was originally issued.

Microsoft Works File Converter Index Table Vulnerability - CVE-2008-0105

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Works File Converter due to the way that it improperly validates section header index table information with the .wps file format. 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.

To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2008-0105.

Mitigating Factors for Microsoft Works File Converter Index Table Vulnerability - CVE-2008-0105

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

  • An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
  • In a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a Web site that contains a Web page that is used to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, Web sites that accept or host user-provided content, or compromised Web sites and advertisement servers could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. Instead, an attacker would have to persuade 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.
  • 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.

Workarounds for Microsoft Works File Converter Index Table Vulnerability - CVE-2008-0105

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:

  • Disable installed copies of the Works File Converter by restricting access to WKCVQD01.DLL

    To manually restrict access to the WKCVQD01.DLL, run the following commands from the command line:

    Note You will need administrator privileges to set these file restrictions.

    For Windows XP:

    echo y| cacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /E /P everyone:N

    For Windows Vista:

    takeown.exe /f "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll"

    icacls.exe "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /save %TEMP%\wkcvqd01 _ACL.TXT

    icacls.exe "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /deny everyone:(F)

    Impact of workaround: After applying these changed, users will no longer be able to open Microsoft Works files in Microsoft Office.

    Rollback: Run the following commands from a command prompt:

    For Windows XP:

    cacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /E /R everyone

    For Windows Vista:

    icacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /grant everyone:(F)

    icacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv" /restore %TEMP%\wkcvqd01_ACL.TXT

  • Prevent WKCVQD01.DLL from being installed

    To manually restrict WKCVQD01.DLL from being installed, run the following commands from the command line:

    Note You will need administrator privileges to set these file restrictions.

    For Windows XP:

    md "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\"

    echo Placeholder > "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll"

    echo y| cacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /E /P everyone:N

    For Windows Vista:

    md "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\"

    echo Placeholder > "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll"

    icacls.exe "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /deny everyone:(F)

    Impact of Workaround: After applying these changes, users will no longer be able to install Microsoft Works File Converters nor open Microsoft Works files in Microsoft Office.

    Rollback: Run the following commands from a command prompt:

    For Windows XP:

    cacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /E /R everyone

    echo y| del "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll"

    For Windows Vista:

    icacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /grant everyone:(F)

    echo y| del "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll"

    Impact of Workaround: After applying these changes, users will no longer be able to install Microsoft Works File Converters nor open Microsoft Works files in Microsoft Office.

  • Do not open or save Works 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 Microsoft Works File Converter Index Table Vulnerability - CVE-2008-0105

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.

What causes the vulnerability?
The vulnerability is caused by the way that Microsoft Works does not properly validate header index table information with the .wps file format.

What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do?
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. An attacker could then install programs or view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.

How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability?
In an e-mail attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially-crafted 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 a Office file that is used to attempt to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised Web sites and Web sites that accept or host user-provided content could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit a specially crafted Web site. Instead, an attacker would have to persuade them to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link that takes them to the attacker's site.

What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Workstations and terminal servers that have the affected versions of Microsoft Office, Microsoft Works Suite, or Microsoft Works installed are primarily at risk. Servers could be at more risk if administrators allow users to log on to servers and to run programs. However, best practices strongly discourage allowing this.

What does the update do?
This update replaces the vulnerable version of the Works File Converter on an affected system with a non-affected version of the converter.

When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed?
No. Microsoft received information about this vulnerability through responsible 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 and had not seen any examples of proof of concept code published when this security bulletin was originally issued.

Microsoft Works File Converter Field Length Vulnerability - CVE-2008-0108

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Works File Converter due to the way that it improperly validates various field lengths information with the .wps file format. 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.

To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2008-0108.

Mitigating Factors for Microsoft Works File Field Length Vulnerability - CVE-2008-0108

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

  • An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
  • In a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a Web site that contains a Web page that is used to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, Web sites that accept or host user-provided content, or compromised Web sites and advertisement servers could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. Instead, an attacker would have to persuade 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.
  • 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.

Workarounds for Microsoft Works File Converter Field Length Vulnerability - CVE-2008-0108

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:

  • Disable installed copies of the Works File Converter by restricting access to WKCVQD01.DLL.

    To manually restrict access to the WKCVQD01.DLL, run the following commands from the command line:

    Note You will need administrator privileges to set these file restrictions.

    For Windows XP

    echo y| cacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /E /P everyone:N

    For Windows Vista

    takeown.exe /f "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll"

    icacls.exe "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /save %TEMP%\wkcvqd01 _ACL.TXT

    icacls.exe "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /deny everyone:(F)

    Rollback:

    For Windows XP

    cacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /E /R everyone

    For Windows Vista

    icacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /grant everyone:(F)

    icacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv" /restore %TEMP%\wkcvqd01_ACL.TXT

    Impact of Workaround: After applying these changed, users will no longer be able to open Microsoft Works files in Microsoft Office.

  • Prevent WKCVQD01.DLL from being installed.

    To manually restrict WKCVQD01.DLL from being installed, run the following commands from the command line:

    Note You will need administrator privileges to set these file restrictions.

    For Windows XP

    md "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\"

    echo Placeholder > "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll"

    echo y| cacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /E /P everyone:N

    For Windows Vista

    md "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\"

    echo Placeholder > "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll"

    icacls.exe "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /deny everyone:(F)

    Rollback:

    For Windows XP

    cacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /E /R everyone

    echo y| del "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll"

    For Windows Vista

    icacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll" /grant everyone:(F)

    echo y| del "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\wkcvqd01.dll"

    Impact of Workaround: After applying these changes, users will no longer be able to install Microsoft Works File Converters nor open Microsoft Works files in Microsoft Office.

  • Do not open or save Works 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 Microsoft Works File Converter Field Length Vulnerability - CVE-2008-0108

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. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.

What causes the vulnerability?
The vulnerability is caused by the way that Microsoft Works improperly validates field length information with the .wps file format.

What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do?
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?
In an e-mail 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 a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker would have to host a Web site that contains a Office file that is used to attempt to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised Web sites and Web sites that accept or host user-provided content could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit a specially crafted Web site. Instead, an attacker would have to persuade them to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link that takes them to the attacker's site.

What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Workstations and terminal servers that have the affected versions of Microsoft Office, Microsoft Works Suite, or Microsoft Works installed are primarily at risk. Servers could be at more risk if administrators allow users to log on to servers and to run programs. However, best practices strongly discourage allowing this.

What does the update do?
This update replaces the vulnerable version of the Works File Converter on an affected system with a non-affected version of the converter.

When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed?
No. Microsoft received information about this vulnerability through responsible 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 and had not seen any examples of proof of concept code published when this security bulletin was originally issued.

Update Information

Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance

Manage the software and security updates you need to deploy to the servers, desktop, and mobile systems in your organization. For more information see the TechNet Update Management Center. The Microsoft TechNet Security Web site provides additional information about security in Microsoft products.

Security updates are available from Microsoft Update, Windows Update, and Office Update. Security updates are also available from the Microsoft Download Center. You can find them most easily by doing a keyword search for "security update."

Finally, security updates can be downloaded from the Microsoft Update Catalog. The Microsoft Update Catalog provides a searchable catalog of content made available through Windows Update and Microsoft Update, including security updates, drivers and service packs. By searching using the security bulletin number (such as, “MS07-036”), you can add all of the applicable updates to your basket (including different languages for an update), and download to the folder of your choosing. For more information about the Microsoft Update Catalog, see the Microsoft Update Catalog FAQ.

Detection and Deployment Guidance

Microsoft has provided detection and deployment guidance for this month’s security updates. This guidance will also help IT professionals understand how they can use various tools to help deploy the security update, such as Windows Update, Microsoft Update, Office Update, the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA), the Office Detection Tool, Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS), and the Extended Security Update Inventory Tool. For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 910723.

Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer

Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) allows administrators to scan local and remote systems for missing security updates as well as common security misconfigurations. For more information about MBSA, visit Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer.

The following table provides the MBSA detection summary for this security update.

Software MBSA 2.0.1
Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 2 Yes
Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3 Yes
Microsoft Works 8.0 No
Microsoft Works Suite 2005 Yes

For more information about MBSA 2.0.1, see MBSA 2.0 Frequently Asked Questions.

Windows Server Update Services

By using Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), administrators can deploy the latest Important updates and security updates for Windows 2000 operating systems and later, Office XP and later, Exchange Server 2003, and SQL Server 2000 to Windows 2000 and later operating systems. For more information about how to deploy this security update using Windows Server Update Services, visit the Windows Server Update Services Web site.

Systems Management Server

The following table provides the SMS detection and deployment summary for this security update.

Software SMS 2.0 SMS 2003 SCCM 2007
Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 2 Yes Yes Yes
Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3 Yes Yes Yes
Microsoft Works 8.0 No No No
Microsoft Works Suite 2005 Yes Yes Yes

For SMS 2.0 and SMS 2003, the SMS SUS Feature Pack, which includes the Security Update Inventory Tool (SUIT), can be used by SMS to detect security updates. See also Downloads for Systems Management Server 2.0.

For SMS 2003, the SMS 2003 Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates (ITMU) can be used by SMS to detect security updates that are offered by Microsoft Update and that are supported by Windows Server Update Services. For more information about the SMS 2003 ITMU, see SMS 2003 Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates. SMS 2003 can also use the Microsoft Office Inventory Tool to detect required updates for Microsoft Office applications. For more information about the Office Inventory Tool and other scanning tools, see SMS 2003 Software Update Scanning Tools. See also Downloads for Systems Management Server 2003.

System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007 uses WSUS 3.0 for detection of updates. For more information about SCCM 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 2000, 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.

Security Update Deployment

Affected Software

For information about the specific security update for your affected software, click the appropriate link:

Microsoft Office 2003 (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 office2003-KB943973-FullFile-ENU /q:a
Installing without restarting office2003-KB943973-FullFile-ENU /r:n
Update log file Not applicable
Further information See the subsection, **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 This update does not require a restart.
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 the next subsection, File Information, for the full file manifest
Registry Key Verification Not applicable

File Information

The English version of this security update has the file attributes that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

For all supported editions of Office 2003:

File Name Version Date Time Size
works632.cnv 7.3.1005.0 08-Oct-2007 20:29 82,952

Note For a complete list of supported versions, see the Support Lifecycle Index. For a complete list of service packs, see Lifecycle Supported Service Packs. For more information on the support lifecycle policy, see Microsoft Support Lifecycle.

Office Features for Administrative Installations

The following table contains the list of feature names (case sensitive) that must be reinstalled for the update. To install all features, you can use REINSTALL=ALL or you can install the following features:

Product Feature
BASIC11, FP11, PERS11, PRO11SB, PROI11, PRO11, PUB11, STDP11, STD11, WORD11 TCWorks7Files

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 latest version of Windows Installer, visit one of the following Microsoft Web sites:

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 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 “Microsoft baseline Security Analyzer” heading under the section, Microsoft Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance.

  • 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.

    1. Click Start, and then click Search.
    2. In the Search Results pane, click All files and folders under Search Companion.
    3. In the All or part of the file name box, type a file name from the appropriate file information table, and then click Search.
    4. 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.
    5. 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.

Microsoft Works 8.0

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 office2003-KB943973-FullFile-ENU /q:a
Installing without restarting office2003-KB943973-FullFile-ENU /r:n
Update log file Not applicable
Further information See the subsection, **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 This update does not require a restart.
Hotpatching Not applicable
Removal Information Use Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel.
File Information See the next subsection, File Information, for the full file manifest
Registry Key Verification Not applicable

File Information

The English version of this security update has the file attributes that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

For all supported editions of Microsoft Works 8.0:

File Name Version Date Time Size
Works632.cnv 7.3.1005.0 08-Oct-2007 20:29 82,952

Note For a complete list of supported versions, see the Support Lifecycle Index. For a complete list of service packs, see Lifecycle Supported Service Packs. For more information on the support lifecycle policy, see Microsoft Support Lifecycle.

Office Features for Administrative Installations

The following table contains the list of feature names (case sensitive) that must be reinstalled for the update. To install all features, you can use REINSTALL=ALL or you can install the following features:

Product Feature
BASIC11, FP11, PERS11, PRO11SB, PROI11, PRO11, PUB11, STDP11, STD11, WORD11 TCWorks7Files

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 latest version of Windows Installer, visit one of the following Microsoft Web sites:

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.

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 “Microsoft baseline Security Analyzer” heading under the section, Microsoft Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance.

  • 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.

    1. Click Start, and then click Search.
    2. In the Search Results pane, click All files and folders under Search Companion.
    3. In the All or part of the file name box, type a file name from the appropriate file information table, and then click Search.
    4. 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.
    5. 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.

Microsoft Works Suite 2005

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 office2003-KB943973-FullFile-ENU /q:a
Installing without restarting office2003-KB943973-FullFile-ENU /r:n
Update log file Not applicable
Further information See the subsection, **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 This update does not require a restart.
Hotpatching Not applicable
Removal Information Use Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel.
File Information See the next subsection, File Information, for the full file manifest
Registry Key Verification Not applicable

File Information

The English version of this security update has the file attributes that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

For all supported editions of Microsoft Works Suite 2005:

File Name Version Date Time Size
Works632.cnv 7.3.1005.0 08-Oct-2007 20:29 82,952

Note For a complete list of supported versions, see the Support Lifecycle Index. For a complete list of service packs, see Lifecycle Supported Service Packs. For more information on the support lifecycle policy, see Microsoft Support Lifecycle.

Office Features for Administrative Installations

The following table contains the list of feature names (case sensitive) that must be reinstalled for the update. To install all features, you can use REINSTALL=ALL or you can install the following features:

Product Feature
BASIC11, FP11, PERS11, PRO11SB, PROI11, PRO11, PUB11, STDP11, STD11, WORD11 TCWorks7Files

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 latest version of Windows Installer, visit one of the following Microsoft Web sites:

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.

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 “Microsoft baseline Security Analyzer” heading under the section, Microsoft Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance.

  • 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.

    1. Click Start, and then click Search.
    2. In the Search Results pane, click All files and folders under Search Companion.
    3. In the All or part of the file name box, type a file name from the appropriate file information table, and then click Search.
    4. 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.
    5. 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.

Other Information

Acknowledgments

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

Support

  • Customers in the U.S. and Canada can receive technical support from Microsoft Product Support Services at 1-866-PCSAFETY. There is no charge for support calls that are associated with security updates.
  • 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 (February 12, 2008): Bulletin published.
  • V1.1 (April 16, 2008): Bulletin updated: Added entry to Update FAQ to describe additional security features included for Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 2.

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