Overview of the Word 97 Security Patch: November 11, 2003

Microsoft has released a patch to Microsoft Word 97 for Windows. This patch fixes vulnerabilities that could occur when you open a document that contains certain data values (the names of macros in the document) that could allow arbitrary code to run.

This article describes how to download and install the Microsoft Word 97 Security Patch: KB830354.

Issues That Are Fixed in the Word 97 Security Patch: KB830354

The following issue is fixed in this patch package, but it was not previously documented in a Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

Word 97 for Windows Quits Unexpectedly When You Open a Document

When you open a Microsoft Word document in Word 97 for Windows, Word 97 for Windows quits with one of the following error messages:

The following issues are only fixed in the Arabic (ARA), the Hebrew (HBR), and the Thai (THA) versions of this patch package:

• A flaw in Word fields could lead to information disclosure in the Arabic, the Hebrew, and the Thai versions of Word 97 for Windows.
• A flaw in the Arabic, the Hebrew, and the Thai versions of Word allows macros to run automatically.
• The macro warning message does not appear in the Arabic, the Hebrew, or the Thai versions of Word 97 for Windows when you open a file that is attached to a template that contains macros.

A Flaw in Word Fields Could Lead to Information Disclosure in the Arabic, the Hebrew, and the Thai Versions of Word 97 for Windows

This update prevents users from unintentionally updating links to external data in Word documents, including e-mail messages that use Word as the e-mail editor in Microsoft Outlook.

This flaw was previously documented in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

A Flaw in the Arabic, the Hebrew, and the Thai Versions of Word Allows Macros to Run Automatically

This update resolves a flaw in Word that could allow macros in specially crafted documents to run automatically regardless of the macro security level settings of the user.

This flaw was previously documented in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

The Macro Warning Message Does Not Appear in the Arabic, the Hebrew, or the Thai Versions of Word 97 for Windows When You Open a File That Is Attached to a Template That Contains Macros

When you open a Word document or a Rich Text Format (RTF) format file that is attached to a template that contains macros, the macro virus warning message may not appear. Word provides a macro warning message when a document that contains a macro is opened. However, if that document is attached to a non-trusted template that contains a macro, no warning message is issued.

This flaw was previously documented in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

Install the Word 97 Security Patch: KB830354

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:

Download the Word 97 Security Patch: KB830354 package now. (http://download.microsoft.com/download/3/c/f/3cf5076a-3097-482f-b1e9-4ceb28a05bc5/office97-kb830354-enu.exe)

Release Date: November 11, 2003

For additional information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help to prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.

Follow these steps to download and install the security patch:

1. Click Save to save the Office97-KB830354-enu.exe file to the selected folder.
2. In Windows Explorer, double-click Office97-KB830354-enu.exe.
3. If you are prompted to install the patch, click Yes.
4. Click Yes to accept the License Agreement.
5. Insert your Microsoft Office 97 CD-ROM when you are prompted to do so, and then click OK.
6. When you receive a message that indicates the installation was successful, click OK.

Note After you install the patch, you cannot remove it. To go back to an installation before the patch was installed, you must remove Microsoft Office 97 and install it again from the original CD-ROM.

How to Determine Whether the Patch Is Installed

The patch contains updated versions of the following files.

The English Patch Version

The Korean (KOR), the Japanese (JPN), the Chinese Simplified (CHS), the Chinese Traditional (CHT), and the Chinese Pan (CHP) Patch Versions

The Arabic (ARA), the Hebrew (HBR), and the Thai (THA) Patch Versions

To determine the version of Word that is installed on your computer, follow these steps.

Note Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.

1. Click Start, and then click Search.
2. In the Search Results pane, click All files and folders under Search Companion.
3. In the All or part of the file name box, type Winword.exe, and then click Search.
4. In the list of files, right-click Winword.exe, and then click Properties.
5. On the Version tab, determine the version of Word that is installed on your computer.

Note If the Microsoft Word 97 Security Patch: KB830354 is already installed on your computer, you receive the following error message when you try to install the Microsoft Word 97 Security Patch: KB830354: