Security

LibreOffice fixes virus-friendly Word import flaw

Free and clear

John Leyden Thu 6 Oct 2011 // 15:29 UTC

LibreOffice users ought to update their software: a security hole has been discovered in the code used to import Microsoft Word documents into the open-source productivity suite. The latest version of the software contains a fix for the problem.

A memory corruption-related vulnerability in the import code creates a possible mechanism for virus writers to inject hostile code into vulnerable systems, developers at The Document Foundation warn. The bug was discovered by RedHat security researcher Huzaifa Sidhpurwala and fixed with version 3.4.3 of the package.

LibreOffice 3.4.3 also addresses lesser security problems involving loading Windows Metafile (.wmf) and Windows Enhanced Metafile (.emf) images into documents.

An advisory from LibreOffice on the vulnerability can be found here. ®

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China reveals its top five sources of online fraud

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Appeal petition as doomed as the Itanic chips at the heart of decade-long drama

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The US Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear Oracle's appeal to overturn a ruling ordering the IT giant to pay $3 billion in damages for violating a decades-old contract agreement.
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