Microsoft Office 2007 Ultimate A (Microsoft) Coden

As I introduced last week, I;m holding a short but sweet Microsoft codename contest this week, using the prize being a totally free signed duplicate of my Microsoft two.0 guide (which I'll ship anyplace in the world to the winner).
Since I announced the guidelines and rules,Genuine Office 2010, I;ve gotten additional than several interesting submissions. I used to be seeking from readers new (but actual and existing) Microsoft codenames which I;ve had however to detail as part of my growing Microsoft Codename list. I'm running some of the most effective ones (as judged by yours truly) on my weblog this week.
Without further ado, allow;s get to it.
Codename of the day: Wringer
Best guess on what it's: MOICE - the Microsoft Office Isolated Conversion Environment
Meaning/context with the codename: The MOICE project isn;t new,Microsoft Office 2010, but the codename and its origins had been new to me. MOICE is designed to “wring out” malicious content from Workplace documents.
Hold onto your hats for the full explanation from Software Security Engineer Robert Hensing;s weblog:
“(B)asically what MOICE does is it hijacks the file associations within the registry and redirects them to a process called ‘MOICE.EXE;. This process basically spawns the Office 2007 file format converter to up-convert the double-clicked Office 2003 document to the new Open XML file format. Oh and the converter runs in its own desktop with a super-locked down token (Dave is the freaking man,Windows 7 Home Premium Product Key!). Why run the converter in its own desktop with a super restricted token? Simple - what if the act of converting the file leads to an exploitable bug and / or code execution. This is effectively dropping the rights with the logged on user to *below* standard user levels in order to do the file conversion. Anyhoo - after the file is up-converted to the new Office 2007 file format - the theory is that the vulnerability will have been ‘wrung; out (indeed the code name for this project was ‘Wringer;).”
Back story: Workplace remains a big hacker target — something of which Microsoft is quite aware. As Hensing blogged:
“(I)t;s no secret that Workplace was used in some targetted attacks last year . . . some attacks involving 0-day vulnerabilities for which our customers had no way of protecting themselves (brief of not opening documents). Had MOICE been available these customers could have deployed it to mitigate these attacks.”
Additional info: The National Security Agency published a fact sheet on Wringer, as well as a Wringer deployment manual.
Got a Microsoft code name you’ve been wondering about? Send it my way. All submitters will be kept confidential.Meanwhile, if you want to keep track of the full month’s worth of Microsoft code names I end up posting,Microsoft Office 2007, bookmark this “Microsoft Codenames” page.
“(B)asically what MOICE does is it hijacks the file associations in the registry and redirects them to a process called ‘MOICE.EXE;. This process basically spawns the Office 2007 file format converter to up-convert the double-clicked Workplace 2003 document to the new Open XML file format. Oh and the converter runs in its own desktop with a super-locked down token (Dave is the freaking man,Microsoft Office 2007 Ultimate!). Why run the converter in its own desktop with a super restricted token? Simple - what if the act of converting the file leads to an exploitable bug and / or code execution. This is effectively dropping the rights of the logged on user to *below* standard user levels in order to do the file conversion. Anyhoo - after the file is up-converted towards the new Office 2007 file format - the theory is that the vulnerability will have been ‘wrung; out (indeed the code name for this undertaking was ‘Wringer;).”
Back story: Workplace remains a big hacker target — something of which Microsoft is quite aware. As Hensing blogged:
“(I)t;s no secret that Workplace was used in some targetted attacks last year . . . some attacks involving 0-day vulnerabilities for which our customers had no way of protecting themselves (brief of not opening documents). Had MOICE been available these customers could have deployed it to mitigate these attacks.”
Additional info: The National Security Agency published a fact sheet on Wringer, as well as a Wringer deployment guidebook.
Got a Microsoft code name you’ve been wondering about? Send it my way. All submitters will be kept confidential.