Microsoft Word Form Protection Password Removal Weakness

Bugtraq ID:	9342
Class:	Design Error
CVE:
Remote:	No
Local:	Yes
Published:	Jan 02 2004 12:00AM
Updated:	Jan 02 2004 12:00AM
Credit:	Discovery credited to Thorsten Delbrouck-Konetzko.
Vulnerable:	Microsoft Word 2003 + Microsoft Office 2003 SP1 + Microsoft Office 2003 0 Microsoft Word 2002 SP2 + Microsoft Office XP SP2 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP3 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP2 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP1 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional - Microsoft Windows 98 - Microsoft Windows 98SE - Microsoft Windows ME - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP6a - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP6 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP5 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP4 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP3 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP2 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP1 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 - Microsoft Windows XP Home SP1 - Microsoft Windows XP Home - Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP1 - Microsoft Windows XP Professional Microsoft Word 2002 SP1 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP2 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP1 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional - Microsoft Windows 98 - Microsoft Windows 98SE - Microsoft Windows ME - Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 SP6a - Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 SP6 - Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 SP5 - Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 SP4 - Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 SP3 - Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 SP2 - Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 SP1 - Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 - Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 SP6a - Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 SP6 - Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 SP5 - Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 SP4 - Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 SP3 - Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 SP2 - Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 SP1 - Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 - Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 SP6 - Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 SP5 - Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 SP4 - Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 SP3 - Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 SP2 - Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 SP1 - Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 alpha - Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP6a - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP6 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP5 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP4 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP3 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP2 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP1 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 - Microsoft Windows XP Home - Microsoft Windows XP Professional Microsoft Word 2002 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP2 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP1 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional - Microsoft Windows 98 - Microsoft Windows 98SE - Microsoft Windows ME - Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 SP6a - Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 SP6 - Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 SP5 - Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 SP4 - Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 SP3 - Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 SP2 - Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 SP1 - Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 - Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 SP6a - Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 SP6 - Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 SP5 - Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 SP4 - Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 SP3 - Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 SP2 - Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 SP1 - Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 - Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 SP6 - Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 SP5 - Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 SP4 - Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 SP3 - Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 SP2 - Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 SP1 - Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 alpha - Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP6a - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP6 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP5 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP4 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP3 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP2 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP1 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 - Microsoft Windows XP Home - Microsoft Windows XP Professional Microsoft Word 2000 SR1a + Microsoft Office 2000 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP2 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP1 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional - Microsoft Windows 95 - Microsoft Windows 98 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP6a - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP6 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP5 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP4 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP3 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP2 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP1 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Microsoft Word 2000 SR1 + Microsoft Office 2000 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP2 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP1 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional - Microsoft Windows 95 - Microsoft Windows 98 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP6a - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP6 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP5 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP4 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP3 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP2 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP1 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Microsoft Word 2000 SP3 + Microsoft Office 2000 SP3 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP3 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP2 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP1 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional - Microsoft Windows 98 - Microsoft Windows 98SE - Microsoft Windows ME - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP6a - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP6 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP5 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP4 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP3 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP2 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP1 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 - Microsoft Windows XP Home SP1 - Microsoft Windows XP Home - Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP1 - Microsoft Windows XP Professional Microsoft Word 2000 SP2 + Microsoft Office 2000 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP2 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP1 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional - Microsoft Windows 95 - Microsoft Windows 98 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP6a - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP6 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP5 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP4 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP3 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP2 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP1 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Microsoft Word 2000 + Microsoft Office 2000 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP2 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP1 - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional - Microsoft Windows 95 - Microsoft Windows 98 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP6a - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP6 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP5 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP4 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP3 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP2 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP1 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
Not Vulnerable:

Microsoft Word Form Protection Password Removal Weakness

When a Microsoft Word document has protection for forms turned on, the password for the protection feature is stored in the Word document. When this document is saved into a HTML document, the password stored in the Word document is placed in hash form in the w:UnprotectPassword header field within the HTML document. This provides an easy method of discovering where the password is located in the original Word document and then nulling it out with a hex editor.

It should be noted that the vendor has stated that this feature is not intended to provide document security but instead is implemented to aid in collaborative situations where all parties are trusted. However, this issue still presents a security risk in scenarios where the feature is mistakenly used as a measure to prevent documents from being modified.

Microsoft Word Form Protection Password Removal Weakness

Solution:
Microsoft has updated a knowledge base article to provide information concerning this issue.

Microsoft Word Form Protection Password Removal Weakness

References:

• Knowledge Base Article - 822924 (Microsoft)
  
• Microsoft Word Protection Bypass (Thorsten Delbrouck-Konetzko )