CVE-2008-4266

Array index vulnerability in Microsoft Office Excel 2000 SP3, 2002 SP3, and 2003 SP3; Excel Viewer 2003 Gold and SP3; Office 2004 and 2008 for Mac; and Open…

published December 10, 2008

CVSS
—
EPSS
28%
Percentile
98.1
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

⚠️ A sneaky array index issue in Excel could let attackers execute arbitrary code with just the wrong spreadsheet! Think of this like a chef accidentally using an expired ingredient that spoils the entire dish. One small mistake in an Excel spreadsheet can lead to a disastrous outcome, compromising your system's integrity. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to cause stack corruption, potentially allowing them to run malicious code on your system. While this specific vulnerability isn't currently being exploited, the risk of opening a compromised spreadsheet could lead to a surprising breach of security.

Put simply

Think of this like a chef accidentally using an expired ingredient that spoils the entire dish. One small mistake in an Excel spreadsheet can lead to a disastrous outcome, compromising your system's integrity. This vulnerability arises from an invalid index value in a NAME record, which corrupts the stack when the spreadsheet is processed. It affects various versions of Microsoft Office Excel and could enable attackers to execute arbitrary code remotely.

What to do

An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to cause stack corruption, potentially allowing them to run malicious code on your system. While this specific vulnerability isn't currently being exploited, the risk of opening a compromised spreadsheet could lead to a surprising breach of security. Ensure that all users are aware of the risks associated with opening untrusted Excel files. Regularly update your Office applications to the latest supported versions, and consider macro settings to limit potential exploits. It's also wise to review any security patches or workarounds provided by Microsoft. You've got this! Stay vigilant and keep your systems updated, and you’ll be the hero of your own security story! 🛡️

The record
Technical detail
CVSS
Not scored
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.27585 · 98.1th percentile
Published
2008-12-10T13:33Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 10 DEC 13:33Z
    Array index vulnerability in Microsoft Office Excel 2000 SP3, 2002 SP3, and 2003 SP3; Excel Viewer 2003 Gold and SP3; Office 2004 and 2008 for Mac; and Open…
    cvelistv5