The project received a report that all versions of Apache OpenOffice through 4.1.8 can open non-http(s) hyperlinks. The problem has existed since about 2006 and the issue is also in 4.1.9. If the link is specifically crafted this could lead to untrusted code execution. It is always best practice to be careful opening documents from unknown and unverified sources. The mitigation in Apache OpenOffice 4.1.10 (unreleased) assures that a security warning is displayed giving the user the option of continuing to open the hyperlink.

While working on Apache OpenOffice 4.1.8 a developer discovered that the DEB package did not install using root, but instead used a userid and groupid of 500. This both caused issues with desktop integration and could allow a crafted attack on files owned by that user or group if they exist. Users who installed the Apache OpenOffice 4.1.8 DEB packaging should upgrade to the latest version of Apache OpenOffice.