dbcve.org
OpenofficeApplication · Apache

CVE-2010-3453

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2011-01-28
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 3.3.0 or later.
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
The WW8ListManager::WW8ListManager function in oowriter in OpenOffice.org (OOo) 2.x and 3.x before 3.3 does not properly handle an unspecified number of list levels in user-defined list styles in WW8 data in a Microsoft Word document, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted .DOC file that triggers an out-of-bounds write.

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

The WW8ListManager::WW8ListManager function in OpenOffice.org Writer fails to properly validate the number of list levels when parsing user-defined list styles in WW8 (Word 97-2003) format documents. A specially crafted .DOC file with an unspecified number of list levels triggers an out-of-bounds write, leading to potential code execution or denial of service (application crash).

MitigationUpgrade to OpenOffice.org 3.3 or later; avoid opening untrusted Microsoft Word .DOC files in vulnerable versions until the patch is applied.

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
OpenofficeApplication
Affected:>= 2.0.0, < 3.3.0
Ubuntu LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 8.04= 9.10= 10.04= 10.10
Debian LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 5.0= 6.0

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. Identify OpenOffice Writer version
    Run 'about' command in OpenOffice Writer or check installed package version (e.g., dpkg -l | grep openoffice-writer or rpm -qa | grep openoffice)
    Affected if Version is between 2.0.0 and 3.2.x (inclusive)
  2. Verify WW8 document import capability exists
    Check if the WW8 (Word 97-2003) import filter is installed; look for files named ww8*.dll, ww8*.so, or check OpenOffice filter configuration for 'MS Word 97' or 'WW8' entry
    Affected if WW8/Word 97 import filter is present and enabled
  3. Confirm default file associations for .DOC
    Check system file associations or OpenOffice preferences to verify .DOC files are set to open with Writer by default
    Affected if .DOC files can be opened directly in OpenOffice Writer
  4. Assess exposure to untrusted documents
    Review document handling practices: check if users commonly open .DOC files from external sources, email attachments, or untrusted network locations
    Affected if Users open .DOC files from untrusted or external sources without prior validation

User is affected if OpenOffice Writer version is 2.0.0 through 3.2.x AND the WW8 import filter is enabled AND users can open untrusted Word 97-2003 .DOC files.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 3.3.0 or later
Fixed in 3.3.0
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to OpenOffice.org 3.3 or later; avoid opening untrusted Microsoft Word .DOC files in vulnerable versions until the patch is applied.

Recommended fix High confidence

OpenOffice.org 3.3.0 or later

  1. Download OpenOffice.org 3.3.0 or later from the official Apache OpenOffice website (https://www.openoffice.org/download/)
  2. Uninstall the existing OpenOffice version using your system's package manager (e.g., 'apt-get remove openoffice.org*' on Debian/Ubuntu)
  3. Install the downloaded OpenOffice 3.3.0 or newer version using your system's package manager or the provided installer
  4. Verify the installation by checking the version (e.g., 'openoffice --version' or through the application menu)
  5. Ensure all security updates for your operating system are applied to maintain system integrity

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

Fix this in Openoffice Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
24.0 hours of engineering $4,200
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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-2010-3453 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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