CVE-2023-23391: The Office for Android Spoofing Vulnerability - A Deep Dive Analysis and Exploitation Guide

In recent times, cyber threats have increasingly targeted mobile platforms, and Android applications have often been a prime target for attackers. Among the most recent discoveries is the vulnerability in Microsoft Office for Android, known as "spoofing vulnerability," which bears the CVE identifier CVE-2023-23391.

In this comprehensive post, we will delve deep into the details of this vulnerability, offer an overview of the exploit, share code snippets, and provide references to the original sources. Join us as we explore the inner workings of this critical vulnerability and learn how you can stay protected against such exploits.

What is CVE-2023-23391?

CVE-2023-23391 is a security vulnerability in Microsoft Office for Android that allows an attacker to "spoof" the identity of a legitimate user, leading to unauthorized access to sensitive information and other undesired consequences.

Vulnerability details can be found in the official CVE record from MITRE. Microsoft also acknowledges the issue in their Security Update Guide.

Technical Details and Exploitation

The spoofing vulnerability in Microsoft Office for Android stems from the improper parsing of specially crafted files. By inducing the application to parse a maliciously crafted file, an attacker can falsify the document's metadata, such as author information, enabling them to impersonate legitimate users.

Here's a snippet illustrating a piece of malicious code that could leverage this vulnerability

<properties xmlns:ns="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/package/2006/metadata/core-properties">;
  <ns:title>My Sample Document</ns:title>
  <ns:creator><![CDATA[<img onerror='alert("This is a spoof!")' src='#'/>]]></ns:creator>
  <ns:created>2022-10-30T12:30:00Z</ns:created>
  ...
</properties>

In the above example, the attacker inserts a malicious script within the 'creator' metadata parameter. Upon opening the document, the targeted user would be greeted with an alert displaying the message "This is a spoof!" However, an actual attacker could modify the code to perform more harmful actions, such as stealing user credentials or accessing sensitive data.

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker could either send the manipulated document via email or host it on a cloud storage service, convincing the user into downloading and opening the file. Once the target user opens the document via the Android Office app, the malicious code executes, leading to the spoof attempt's success.

Microsoft has released security updates to address this vulnerability and recommends users install the latest app versions to be protected against potential exploits.

Mitigation Steps

Users can mitigate the risk of falling prey to this vulnerability by adhering to the following best practices:

1. Update Microsoft Office for Android to the latest version through the Google Play Store.

2. Avoid downloading and opening unsolicited email attachments without proper verification of the sender's identity.

3. Be cautious when downloading and opening files shared via cloud storage or other file-sharing services.

4. Use a reputable mobile security application to scan for potential threats in downloaded files and email attachments.

Conclusion

CVE-2023-23391 underscores the significance of protecting one's devices and applications against emerging cybersecurity threats. In this comprehensive post, we covered the technical aspects of this critical vulnerability, demonstrated a code snippet, provided relevant references, and offered mitigation steps to stay protected.

By staying up-to-date with the latest security news, patches, and best practices, users can significantly reduce the risk of becoming targets for increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks. Stay informed, stay safe, and continue to keep an eye on emerging Android threats.

Timeline

Published on: 03/14/2023 17:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 03/21/2023 15:06:00 UTC