dbcve.org
Openoffice.orgApplication · Openoffice

CVE-2008-2152

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-06-10
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Integer overflow in the rtl_allocateMemory function in sal/rtl/source/alloc_global.c in OpenOffice.org (OOo) 2.0 through 2.4 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted file that triggers a heap-based buffer overflow.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Integer overflow in OpenOffice.org's rtl_allocateMemory function allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted files that trigger a heap-based buffer overflow. The vulnerability exists in the memory allocation routine within sal/rtl/source/alloc_global.c, where insufficient integer overflow validation permits oversized buffer allocations.

MitigationUpgrade to OpenOffice.org version 2.4.1 or later, or apply the vendor-provided patch that adds proper integer overflow checks in the rtl_allocateMemory function to validate allocation sizes before heap allocation.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Openoffice.orgApplication
Affected:= 2.0= 2.1= 2.2= 2.3= 2.4

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check installed OpenOffice.org version
    On Windows, open Help > About OpenOffice.org or run: soffice -version in terminal. On Linux, run: openoffice.org --version or soffice --version
    Affected if Version is 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, or 2.4 (any of these versions is affected)
  2. Locate the vulnerable rtl_allocateMemory component
    Search for the file alloc_global.c in the sal/rtl/source/ directory within the OpenOffice.org installation path. Common paths: C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org\program\ on Windows, /usr/lib/openoffice/ on Linux
    Affected if File exists at sal/rtl/source/alloc_global.c in the OpenOffice.org installation directory
  3. Verify the rtl_allocateMemory function is present
    Use a binary analysis tool or strings utility to search for 'rtl_allocateMemory' in the relevant library files (e.g., sal.dll on Windows, sal.so on Linux)
    Affected if The rtl_allocateMemory symbol exists in the sal library binary, indicating the vulnerable allocation routine is present
  4. Check for integer overflow safeguards in allocation code
    If source code is available, examine the rtl_allocateMemory function in sal/rtl/source/alloc_global.c for proper overflow validation before malloc calls
    Affected if The source code lacks proper integer overflow checks before heap buffer allocation in rtl_allocateMemory

You are affected if OpenOffice.org version 2.0 through 2.4 is installed and the vulnerable rtl_allocateMemory function in sal/rtl/source/alloc_global.c is present without integer overflow validation.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade to OpenOffice.org version 2.4.1 or later, or apply the vendor-provided patch that adds proper integer overflow checks in the rtl_allocateMemory function to validate allocation sizes before heap allocation.

Recommended fix High confidence

OpenOffice.org 2.4.1 or later (Apache OpenOffice)

  1. 1. Back up any important documents and settings from your current OpenOffice.org installation
  2. 2. Download OpenOffice.org version 2.4.1 or later from the official Apache OpenOffice archive (https://archive.apache.org/dist/openoffice/)
  3. 3. Uninstall the current vulnerable version of OpenOffice.org (2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, or 2.4)
  4. 4. Install the downloaded OpenOffice.org 2.4.1 or newer version
  5. 5. Verify the installation by checking Help > About Apache OpenOffice to confirm the version
  6. 6. Reapply any user preferences or configurations as needed
Caveat Minimal risk - upgrade to newer major version may include UI changes; also consider migrating to LibreOffice as OpenOffice.org is in maintenance mode

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Openoffice.org Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
30.0 hours of engineering $5,120
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2008-2152 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data