<A HREF="http://securitywatch.eweek.com/vulnerability_research/red_hat_patch_ads_to_openoffice_vuln_run.html?kc=EWKNLEND062008STR5">Red Hat has issued a security update</A> covering multiple versions of the OpenOffice open-source productivity suite to address a flaw related to use of the software with its Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 operating systems.

Rated as "highly critical" by Secunia, the heap overflow flaw in the OpenOffice memory allocator could allow an attacker to remotely compromise unpatched end-user systems, Red Hat reported.

The Linux software maker ranked the issue as "important" and said that if a specially crafted file was opened by a victim using an unpatched system, an attacker could use the flaw to crash OpenOffice applications or, possibly, execute arbitrary code. Red Hat specifically credited researcher Sean Larsson for initially discovering the problem.