A remote code execution vulnerability in Microsoft Excel and related Office components caused by improper handling of a spreadsheet FEATHEADER record. The flaw is triggered when Excel processes a crafted record containing an invalid cbHdrData size value, which corrupts a pointer offset during parsing and leads to memory corruption. Successful exploitation occurs when a user opens a malicious spreadsheet in a vulnerable version of Microsoft Excel, Excel Viewer, compatible Office components, or affected Mac Office products.
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1 valid exploit after Mallory filtered fakes, detection scripts, and README-only repos (1 hidden).
This repository contains a single Metasploit module (ms09_067_excel_featheader.rb) that exploits CVE-2009-3129, a vulnerability in Microsoft Excel's handling of the FEATHEADER record. The exploit generates a malicious Excel (.xls) file that, when opened in a vulnerable version of Microsoft Office (XP/2002, 2003, or 2007 on Windows XP SP3), allows for arbitrary code execution. The module allows the attacker to specify the output file name and path, and embeds a user-selected Metasploit payload (up to 1024 bytes, with null bytes filtered out) into the crafted Excel file. The attack vector is local, requiring social engineering to convince a user to open the malicious file. The main fingerprintable endpoint is the generated Excel file itself. The code is mature and weaponized, as it is part of the Metasploit framework and supports customizable payloads.
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Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.
9 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
Unknown (only referenced via an AV detection name; the content does not describe the vulnerability details or usage).
Unknown (only referenced via an AV detection name; the content does not describe the vulnerability details or usage).
A remote code execution vulnerability in Microsoft Office Excel and related Office components triggered by a malicious spreadsheet containing a malformed FEATHEADER record, causing memory corruption.
A Microsoft Office vulnerability used by APT12 for code execution.
Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.
Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.
Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.
YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.
Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.
Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.