From secnotif@MICROSOFT.COM Mon May 21 22:44:25 2001 From: Microsoft Product Security To: MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM Date: Mon, 21 May 2001 15:04:44 -0700 Subject: Microsoft Security Bulletin MS01-028 The following is a Security Bulletin from the Microsoft Product Security Notification Service. Please do not reply to this message, as it was sent from an unattended mailbox. ******************************** -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: RTF document linked to template can run macros without warning Date: 21 May 2001 Software: Microsoft Word for Windows and Word for the Mac Impact: Run Macros without warning Bulletin: MS01-028 Microsoft encourages customers to review the Security Bulletin at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS01-028.asp. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Issue: ====== Word, like other members of the Office product family, provides a security mechanism that requires user's approval to run macros. By design, anytime a document is opened the user would be notified if the document contains macros. In addition, this mechanism checks secondary documents that the original document links to, such as templates, and warn if any of those contain macros. This feature works by scanning the document or template for the presence of macros, alerting the user of their presence, and then asking the user if he wants to allow the macros to run. By embedding a macro in a template, and providing another user with an RTF document that links to it, an attacker could cause a macro to run automatically when the RTF document was opened. The macro would be able to take any action that the user herself could take. This could include disabling the user's Word security settings so that subsequently-opened Word documents would no longer be checked for macros. Mitigating Factors: ==================== - The vulnerability only affects Word. Other Office products are not affected. - The vulnerability does not occur when opening Word documents, only when opening RTF documents, and even then only when the RTF document is linked to a template. Patch Availability: =================== - A patch is available to fix this vulnerability. Please read the Security Bulletin http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms01-028.asp for information on obtaining this patch. - --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: PGP Personal Privacy 6.5.3 iQEVAwUBOwmQ/I0ZSRQxA/UrAQEXzAgAlbMfhrKwuOFbhk4AWLV1prmlVjt0W0CK uMmyBO02YiBcFyw4PXTpAsDZ7RbyFiy/sJwzTN+ZayYFk9Lis4oLnKhJdkmplbwU /HQrH1yzssz37Zcj7QIrKWBUfs3ts3SqUWTBB50/MnUEhv85lYT/nXhcOGqWAeyR IXpL7NoaHEU7kZVAyHj7Bs5M/jU4zA+Y8xzyFrLd/HxBTRBjCl/HaIF1LVptBHan N7VX9K7aq3muDkOYoXPbeox8AN2IFHKBQd510kbX1u5Zd7LmgYo8YQcehtMkVTnj +57bFwDbNy1F/fRtCeBhzhWv/T+XScvIz8+ew8UcDtD7gD2IUGq/HQ== =JDpK -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- ******************************************************************* You have received this e-mail bulletin as a result of your registration to the Microsoft Product Security Notification Service. You may unsubscribe from this e-mail notification service at any time by sending an e-mail to MICROSOFT_SECURITY-SIGNOFF-REQUEST@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM The subject line and message body are not used in processing the request, and can be anything you like. To verify the digital signature on this bulletin, please download our PGP key at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/notify.asp. For more information on the Microsoft Security Notification Service please visit http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/notify.asp. For security-related information about Microsoft products, please visit the Microsoft Security Advisor web site at http://www.microsoft.com/security.