A patch has been widely released for a vulnerability in the OpenOffice.org productivity suite, a problem rated as “highly critical” by one security vendor.The flaw could be exploited by creating a malicious file in the Windows Metafile (WMF) or Enhanced Metafile (EMF) formats. If the file were opened by a user, it could start running unauthorized code on a computer, according to an advisory by Linux distribution vendor Red Hat, which offers the OpenOffice suite with several of its products.OpenOffice.org is a free software suite that includes a word processor, spreadsheet and a presentation program. It’s a competitor to Microsoft’s Office suite, although it’s not as widely used.OpenOffice.org has published a patch, which in turn is being distributed by Red Hat. The problem was first reported in October, but the vendors who distribute OpenOffice—who often work together on security issues—opted not to issue the patch until OpenOffice.org acknowledged earlier this week it was a security issue, said Mark Cox, director of Red Hat’s Security Response Team. No public exploits or even proof-of-concept code has been discovered, he added. Red Hat rated the flaw as only “important,” since a user would have to open a malicious file, Cox said. Red Hat users will either receive an update automatically or notification to upgrade their software, he added.Secunia, however, rated the vulnerability as “highly critical,” a rank of “four” on a five-number scale of increasing severity.The WMF format proved problematic for OpenOffice.org’s rival in 2006. After pressure from its customers, Microsoft issued an out-of-cycle patch early last year for its operating systems after widespread attempts to exploit a WMF vulnerability. The flaw—one of the top security problems of 2006—also left Windows systems vulnerable to running code if a malicious WMF was opened. –Jeremy KirkIDG News Service (London Bureau) Related Links: Hackers Could Pounce over Holidays Security Patch Management: 6 Step Proactive ProcessCheck out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Sponsored by Huawei Beyond gigabit: the need for 10 Gbps in business networks Interview with Liu Jianning, Vice President of Huawei's Data Communication Marketing & Solutions Sales Dept By CIO Online Staff Nov 30, 2023 9 mins Cloud Architecture Networking brandpost Sponsored by SAP Generative AI’s ‘show me the money’ moment We’re past the hype and slick gen AI sales pitches. Business leaders want results. By Julia White Nov 30, 2023 5 mins Artificial Intelligence brandpost Sponsored by Zscaler How customers capture real economic value with zero trust Unleashing economic value: Zscaler's Zero Trust Exchange transforms security architecture while cutting costs. By Zscaler Nov 30, 2023 4 mins Security brandpost Sponsored by SAP A cloud-based solution to rescue millions from energy poverty Aware of the correlation between energy and financial poverty, Savannah Energy is helping to generate clean, competitively priced electricity across Africa by integrating its old systems into one cloud-based platform. By Keith E. Greenberg, SAP Contributor Nov 30, 2023 5 mins Digital Transformation Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe