Remote documents loaded without prompt via background and bullet images
Fixed in Apache OpenOffice 4.1.16
Description
Apache OpenOffice documents can contain links to other files. A missing Authorization vulnerability in Apache OpenOffice allowed an attacker to craft a document that would cause external links to be loaded without prompt. In the affected versions of Apache OpenOffice, documents that used background fill images, or bullet images, linked to external files would load the contents of those files without prompting the user for permission to do so.
This issue affects Apache OpenOffice: through 4.1.15.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 4.1.16, which fixes the issue.
Severity: Moderate
There are no known exploits of this vulnerability.
A proof-of-concept demonstration exists.
Thanks to the reporter for discovering this issue.
Vendor: The Apache Software Foundation
Versions Affected
All Apache OpenOffice versions 4.1.15 and older are affected.
OpenOffice.org versions may also be affected.
Mitigation
Install Apache OpenOffice 4.1.16 for the latest maintenance and cumulative security fixes. Use the Apache OpenOffice download page.
Acknowledgements
The Apache OpenOffice Security Team would like to thank Reginaldo Silva of ubercomp.com for discovering and reporting this issue.
Further Information
For additional information and assistance, consult the Apache OpenOffice Community Forums or make requests to the users@openoffice.apache.org public mailing list.
The latest information on Apache OpenOffice security bulletins can be found at the Bulletin Archive page.
