Actively exploited · Published Nov 11, 2009 · Assigned by microsoft
CVE-2009-3129
High 7.8 Exploited
In plain English
A high-severity out-of-bounds write in Excel from Microsoft. Attackers are actively exploiting it in the wild (listed by CISA on March 3, 2022). The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 84.0% (higher than 99.7% of all known vulnerabilities). Ready-made attack tooling exists: Metasploit. Apply updates per vendor instructions.
CISA guidance
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Federal agencies must remediate by Mar 24, 2022.
Official description
Microsoft Office Excel 2002 SP3, 2003 SP3, and 2007 SP1 and SP2; Office 2004 and 2008 for Mac; Open XML File Format Converter for Mac; Office Excel Viewer 2003 SP3; Office Excel Viewer SP1 and SP2; and Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats SP1 and SP2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a spreadsheet with a FEATHEADER record containing an invalid cbHdrData size element that affects a pointer offset, aka "Excel Featheader Record Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
Affected products (as reported)
Weakness: CWE-787 · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
References
- 59860 vdb-entry, x_refsource_OSVDB
- oval:org.mitre.oval:def:6521 vdb-entry, signature, x_refsource_OVAL
- 1023157 vdb-entry, x_refsource_SECTRACK
- 36945 vdb-entry, x_refsource_BID
- TA09-314A third-party-advisory, x_refsource_CERT
- 20091110 Microsoft Excel FEATHEADER Record Memory Corruption Vulnerability third-party-advisory, x_refsource_IDEFENSE
- MS09-067 vendor-advisory, x_refsource_MS
- 20091110 ZDI-09-083: Microsoft Excel Shared Feature Header Pointer Offset Memory Corruption Vulnerability mailing-list, x_refsource_BUGTRAQ
- http://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-09-083 x_refsource_MISC
- 14706 exploit, x_refsource_EXPLOIT-DB
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2009-3129 government-resource