Vulnerabilities > CVE-2015-6172 - Improper Input Validation vulnerability in Microsoft Office, Office Compatibility Pack and Word

047910
CVSS 0.0 - NONE
Attack vector
UNKNOWN
Attack complexity
UNKNOWN
Privileges required
UNKNOWN
Confidentiality impact
UNKNOWN
Integrity impact
UNKNOWN
Availability impact
UNKNOWN

Summary

Microsoft Word 2007 SP3, Office 2010 SP2, Word 2010 SP2, Word 2013 SP1, Word 2016, Word 2013 RT SP1, and Office Compatibility Pack SP3 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted email message processed by Outlook, aka "Microsoft Office RCE Vulnerability."

Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

  • Buffer Overflow via Environment Variables
    This attack pattern involves causing a buffer overflow through manipulation of environment variables. Once the attacker finds that they can modify an environment variable, they may try to overflow associated buffers. This attack leverages implicit trust often placed in environment variables.
  • Server Side Include (SSI) Injection
    An attacker can use Server Side Include (SSI) Injection to send code to a web application that then gets executed by the web server. Doing so enables the attacker to achieve similar results to Cross Site Scripting, viz., arbitrary code execution and information disclosure, albeit on a more limited scale, since the SSI directives are nowhere near as powerful as a full-fledged scripting language. Nonetheless, the attacker can conveniently gain access to sensitive files, such as password files, and execute shell commands.
  • Cross Zone Scripting
    An attacker is able to cause a victim to load content into their web-browser that bypasses security zone controls and gain access to increased privileges to execute scripting code or other web objects such as unsigned ActiveX controls or applets. This is a privilege elevation attack targeted at zone-based web-browser security. In a zone-based model, pages belong to one of a set of zones corresponding to the level of privilege assigned to that page. Pages in an untrusted zone would have a lesser level of access to the system and/or be restricted in the types of executable content it was allowed to invoke. In a cross-zone scripting attack, a page that should be assigned to a less privileged zone is granted the privileges of a more trusted zone. This can be accomplished by exploiting bugs in the browser, exploiting incorrect configuration in the zone controls, through a cross-site scripting attack that causes the attackers' content to be treated as coming from a more trusted page, or by leveraging some piece of system functionality that is accessible from both the trusted and less trusted zone. This attack differs from "Restful Privilege Escalation" in that the latter correlates to the inadequate securing of RESTful access methods (such as HTTP DELETE) on the server, while cross-zone scripting attacks the concept of security zones as implemented by a browser.
  • Cross Site Scripting through Log Files
    An attacker may leverage a system weakness where logs are susceptible to log injection to insert scripts into the system's logs. If these logs are later viewed by an administrator through a thin administrative interface and the log data is not properly HTML encoded before being written to the page, the attackers' scripts stored in the log will be executed in the administrative interface with potentially serious consequences. This attack pattern is really a combination of two other attack patterns: log injection and stored cross site scripting.
  • Command Line Execution through SQL Injection
    An attacker uses standard SQL injection methods to inject data into the command line for execution. This could be done directly through misuse of directives such as MSSQL_xp_cmdshell or indirectly through injection of data into the database that would be interpreted as shell commands. Sometime later, an unscrupulous backend application (or could be part of the functionality of the same application) fetches the injected data stored in the database and uses this data as command line arguments without performing proper validation. The malicious data escapes that data plane by spawning new commands to be executed on the host.

Msbulletin

bulletin_idMS15-131
bulletin_url
date2015-12-08T00:00:00
impactRemote Code Execution
knowledgebase_id3116111
knowledgebase_url
severityCritical
titleSecurity Update for Microsoft Office to Address Remote Code Execution

Nessus

NASL familyWindows : Microsoft Bulletins
NASL idSMB_NT_MS15-131.NASL
descriptionThe remote Windows host has a version of Microsoft Office, Word, Word Viewer, Excel, Excel Viewer, or Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack installed that is affected by multiple remote code execution vulnerabilities : - Multiple memory corruption issues exist due to improper handling of objects in memory. A remote attacker can exploit these issues by convincing a user to open a specially crafted file in an affected version of Office, resulting in the execution of arbitrary code in the context of the current user. (CVE-2015-6040, CVE-2015-6118, CVE-2015-6122, CVE-2015-6124, CVE-2015-6177) - A remote code execution vulnerability exists due to improper parsing of email messages. A remote attacker can exploit this vulnerability by convincing a user to open or preview a specially crafted email message, resulting in the execution of arbitrary code in the context of the current user. (CVE-2015-6172)
last seen2020-06-01
modified2020-06-02
plugin id87260
published2015-12-08
reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2015-2018 Tenable Network Security, Inc.
sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/87260
titleMS15-131: Security Update for Microsoft Office to Address Remote Code Execution (3116111)
code
#
# (C) Tenable Network Security, Inc.
#

include("compat.inc");

if (description)
{
  script_id(87260);
  script_version("1.12");
  script_cvs_date("Date: 2018/08/03 11:35:09");

  script_cve_id(
    "CVE-2015-6040",
    "CVE-2015-6118",
    "CVE-2015-6122",
    "CVE-2015-6124",
    "CVE-2015-6172",
    "CVE-2015-6177"
  );
  script_bugtraq_id(
    78543,
    78546,
    78547,
    78548,
    78549,
    78550
  );
  script_xref(name:"MSFT", value:"MS15-131");
  script_xref(name:"MSKB", value:"3085528");
  script_xref(name:"MSKB", value:"3085549");
  script_xref(name:"MSKB", value:"3101532");
  script_xref(name:"MSKB", value:"3114342");
  script_xref(name:"MSKB", value:"3114382");
  script_xref(name:"MSKB", value:"3114403");
  script_xref(name:"MSKB", value:"3114415");
  script_xref(name:"MSKB", value:"3114422");
  script_xref(name:"MSKB", value:"3114425");
  script_xref(name:"MSKB", value:"3114431");
  script_xref(name:"MSKB", value:"3114433");
  script_xref(name:"MSKB", value:"3114457");
  script_xref(name:"MSKB", value:"3114458");
  script_xref(name:"MSKB", value:"3114479");
  script_xref(name:"IAVA", value:"2015-A-0300");

  script_name(english:"MS15-131: Security Update for Microsoft Office to Address Remote Code Execution (3116111)");
  script_summary(english:"Checks the Office, SharePoint, and OWA versions.");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value:
"The remote Windows host is affected by multiple remote code execution
vulnerabilities.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value:
"The remote Windows host has a version of Microsoft Office, Word, Word
Viewer, Excel, Excel Viewer, or Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack
installed that is affected by multiple remote code execution
vulnerabilities :

  - Multiple memory corruption issues exist due to improper
    handling of objects in memory. A remote attacker can
    exploit these issues by convincing a user to open a
    specially crafted file in an affected version of Office,
    resulting in the execution of arbitrary code in the
    context of the current user. (CVE-2015-6040,
    CVE-2015-6118, CVE-2015-6122, CVE-2015-6124,
    CVE-2015-6177)

  - A remote code execution vulnerability exists due to
    improper parsing of email messages. A remote attacker
    can exploit this vulnerability by convincing a user to
    open or preview a specially crafted email message,
    resulting in the execution of arbitrary code in the
    context of the current user. (CVE-2015-6172)");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://technet.microsoft.com/library/security/ms15-131");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:
"Microsoft has released a set of patches for Office 2007, 2010, 2013,
2013 RT, 2016, Word, Word Viewer, Excel, Excel Viewer, and Microsoft
Office Compatibility Pack.");
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:H/RL:OF/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"Exploits are available");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"true");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploited_by_malware", value:"true");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2015/12/08");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"patch_publication_date", value:"2015/12/08");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2015/12/08");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/a:microsoft:office");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/a:microsoft:word");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/a:microsoft:word_viewer");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/a:microsoft:excel");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/a:microsoft:excel_viewer");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/a:microsoft:office_compatibility_pack");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"stig_severity", value:"I");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_family(english:"Windows : Microsoft Bulletins");

  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2015-2018 Tenable Network Security, Inc.");

  script_dependencies("office_installed.nasl", "microsoft_owa_installed.nbin" , "smb_hotfixes.nasl", "ms_bulletin_checks_possible.nasl");
  script_require_keys("SMB/MS_Bulletin_Checks/Possible");
  script_require_ports(139, 445, "Host/patch_management_checks");

  exit(0);
}

include("audit.inc");
include("smb_func.inc");
include("smb_hotfixes.inc");
include("smb_hotfixes_fcheck.inc");
include("smb_reg_query.inc");
include("misc_func.inc");
include("install_func.inc");

global_var bulletin, vuln;

get_kb_item_or_exit("SMB/MS_Bulletin_Checks/Possible");

bulletin = 'MS15-131';
kbs = make_list(
  3085528,  # Office 2010 SP2
  3085549,  # Office 2007 SP3
  3101532,  # Office 2010 SP2
  3114342,  # Office 2013 SP1 / RT SP1
  3114382,  # Office 2016
  3114403,  # Office 2010 SP2
  3114415,  # Office 2010 SP2
  3114422,  # Office 2007 SP3
  3114425,  # Office 2007 SP3
  3114431,  # Office Compatibility Pack SP3
  3114433,  # Excel Viewer
  3114457,  # Office Compatibility Pack SP3
  3114458,  # Office 2007 SP3
  3114479   # Word Viewer
);

if (get_kb_item("Host/patch_management_checks")) hotfix_check_3rd_party(bulletin:bulletin, kbs:kbs, severity:SECURITY_HOLE);

get_kb_item_or_exit("SMB/Registry/Enumerated", exit_code:1);

# Get path information for Windows.
windir = hotfix_get_systemroot();
if (isnull(windir)) exit(1, "Failed to determine the location of %windir%.");
registry_init();

# Generic Office Checks
function perform_office_checks()
{
  local_var office_vers, office_sp, path;
  office_vers = hotfix_check_office_version();
  if (office_vers["12.0"])
  {
    office_sp = get_kb_item("SMB/Office/2007/SP");
    if (!isnull(office_sp) && office_sp == 3)
    {
      path = hotfix_append_path(path:hotfix_get_officecommonfilesdir(officever:"12.0"), value:"Microsoft Shared\Office12");
      if (
        hotfix_check_fversion(file:"mso.dll",       version: "12.0.6739.5000" , path:path, bulletin:bulletin, kb:"3114425", product:"Microsoft Office 2007 SP3") == HCF_OLDER ||
        hotfix_check_fversion(file:"msptls.dll",    version: "12.0.6739.5000" , path:path, bulletin:bulletin, kb:"3085549", product:"Microsoft Office 2007 SP3") == HCF_OLDER
      )
        vuln = TRUE;
    }
  }

  if (office_vers["14.0"])
  {
    office_sp = get_kb_item("SMB/Office/2010/SP");
    if (!isnull(office_sp) && office_sp == 2)
    {
      path = hotfix_append_path(path:hotfix_get_officeprogramfilesdir(officever:"14.0"), value:"Microsoft Office\Office14");
      if (
        hotfix_check_fversion(file:"msptls.dll",   version: "14.0.7164.5000", path:path, bulletin:bulletin, kb:"3085528", product:"Microsoft Office 2010 SP2") == HCF_OLDER ||
        hotfix_check_fversion(file:"wwlibcxm.dll", version: "14.0.7164.5001", path:path, bulletin:bulletin, kb:"3114403", product:"Microsoft Office 2010 SP2") == HCF_OLDER
      )
        vuln = TRUE;
    }
  }
}

function perform_office_product_checks()
{
  local_var excel_checks, word_checks, word_vwr_checks, vwr_checks, compat_checks;

  local_var installs, install, path; # For DLL checks

  ######################################################################
  # Excel Checks
  ######################################################################
  excel_checks = make_array(
    "12.0", make_array("sp", 3, "version", "12.0.6739.5000", "kb", "3114422"),
    "14.0", make_array("sp", 2, "version", "14.0.7164.5000", "kb", "3114415")
  );
  if (hotfix_check_office_product(product:"Excel", checks:excel_checks, bulletin:bulletin))
    vuln = TRUE;

  ######################################################################
  # Word
  ######################################################################
  word_checks = make_array(
    "12.0", make_array("sp", 3, "version", "12.0.6740.5000", "kb", "3114458"),
    "14.0", make_array("sp", 2, "version", "14.0.7164.5001", "kb", "3101532"),
    "15.0", make_array("sp", 1, "version", "15.0.4779.1001", "kb", "3114342"),
    "16.0", make_nested_list(
       make_array("sp", 0, "version", "16.0.4312.1001", "channel", "MSI", "kb", "3114382"),
       make_array("sp", 0, "version", "16.0.6001.1043", "channel", "Current", "kb", "3114382")
    )
  );
  if (hotfix_check_office_product(product:"Word", checks:word_checks, bulletin:bulletin))
    vuln = TRUE;

  ######################################################################
  # Word Viewer  KB: 3114479
  ######################################################################
  installs = get_kb_list("SMB/Office/WordViewer/*/ProductPath");
  if(!isnull(installs))
  {
    word_vwr_checks = make_array(
      "11.0", make_array("version", "11.0.8422.0", "kb", "3114479")
    );
    if (hotfix_check_office_product(product:"WordViewer", display_name:"Word Viewer", checks:word_vwr_checks, bulletin:bulletin))
      vuln = TRUE;
  }

  ######################################################################
  # Excel Viewer KB: 3114433
  ######################################################################
  vwr_checks = make_array(
    "12.0", make_array("version", "12.0.6739.5000", "kb", "3114433")
  );
  if (hotfix_check_office_product(product:"ExcelViewer", display_name:"Excel Viewer", checks:vwr_checks, bulletin:bulletin))
    vuln = TRUE;

  ######################################################################
  # Excel Compatibility pack  KB: 3114431
  ######################################################################
  compat_checks = make_array(
    "12.0", make_array("sp", 3, "version", "12.0.6739.5000", "kb", "3114431")
  );
  if (hotfix_check_office_product(product:"ExcelCnv", display_name:"Office Compatibility Pack SP3", checks:compat_checks, bulletin:bulletin))
    vuln = TRUE;

  ######################################################################
  # Word Compatibility pack   KB: 3114457
  ######################################################################
  installs = get_kb_list("SMB/Office/WordCnv/*/ProductPath");
  foreach install (keys(installs))
  {
    path = installs[install];
    path = ereg_replace(pattern:'^(.+)\\\\[^\\\\]+\\.exe$', replace:"\1\", string:path, icase:TRUE);
    if(hotfix_check_fversion(path:path, file:"wordcnv.dll",  version:"12.0.6740.5000", kb: "3114457", bulletin:bulletin, min_version:"12.0.0.0", product:"Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack") == HCF_OLDER)
      vuln = TRUE;
  }
}

perform_office_checks();
perform_office_product_checks();

if (vuln)
{
  set_kb_item(name:'SMB/Missing/'+bulletin, value:TRUE);
  hotfix_security_hole();
  hotfix_check_fversion_end();
  exit(0);
}
else
{
  hotfix_check_fversion_end();
  audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
}