Microsoft Compound File

File Format
Name	Microsoft Compound File
Ontology	Electronic File Formats Metaformats Microsoft Compound File ; ; ;
LoCFDD	fdd000380, fdd000392
PRONOM	fmt/111
Kaitai Struct Spec	microsoft_cfb.ksy

Latest revision as of 18:37, 26 December 2024

"OLE" redirects here. See also OLE 1.0 object.

Microsoft Compound File is a complex container format used by some versions of Microsoft Office, and other Windows-centric applications. It has features similar to those of a filesystem format.

Its name has many variations, including:

Compound File Binary File Format (CFBF or CFB)
Microsoft Compound Document File Format
OLE Compound Document Format
OLE2 Compound Document Format
Composite Document File
DocFile

The format was not publicly documented by Microsoft until 2008.

It is (or was?) unofficially known as LAOLA File Format.

[edit] Identification

Files begin with signature bytes D0 CF 11 E0 A1 B1 1A E1.

Identifying the specific document type can be difficult. Some, but not all, document types can be identified by the CLSID field in the "root storage" directory entry. This field is usually located at file offset {SectorSize}×(1 + {the 32-bit integer at offset 48}) + 80 with {SectorSize} equal to 512 when {the 16-byte integer at offset 26} is 3, and equal to 4096 if 4.

Some files have a stream named "<U+0005>SummaryInformation" containing metadata, which may include information about the creating application.

[edit] Root storage object CLSIDs

The table below lists some of the root storage object CLSIDs that have been observed in this type of file. Use this information at your own risk, as these identifiers can be unreliable.

Microsoft's documentation says this about the CLSID field:

This field contains an object class GUID. [...] If not [all zeroes], the object class GUID can be used as a parameter to start applications.

Although every storage object (think subdirectory) can have a CLSID, this table is only concerned with the file's root storage object.

Note that the CLSIDs are stored as GUIDs in little-endian binary format, so they have a strange byte order.

Root storage object CLSID	Format
`{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}`	Unspecified (could be Thumbs.db, SUO, PageMaker, Microsoft Access wizard template, Easy CD Creator 2 ...)
`{00000257-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}`	Family Tree Maker FTW
`{00020810-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}`	Excel 5-95 XLS
`{00020820-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}`	Excel 97-2003 XLS
`{00020900-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}`	Word 6-95 DOC
`{00020906-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}`	Word 97-2003 DOC
`{00020d0b-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}`	Outlook 97-2003 Item File
`{00021200-0000-0000-00C0-000000000046}`	Microsoft Publisher 95 (2.0)
`{00021201-0000-0000-00c0-000000000046}`	Microsoft Publisher 97-2013 (3.0-11.0)
`{00021302-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}`	Microsoft Works 3-4 WordProcessor
`{00021303-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}`	Microsoft Works 3-4 database
`{00021a13-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}`	Visio 2000-2002
`{00021a14-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}`	Visio 2003-2010
`{00022c44-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}`	GST DTP formats
`{00022C60-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}`	GST Art drawing
`{00044851-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}`	PowerPoint 4.0 PPT
`{0006f046-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}`	Outlook 97-2003 Item template
`{000C1082-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}`	Windows Installer transform script MST
`{000c1084-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}`	MSI
`{000c1086-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}`	Windows Installer Patch MSP
`{012d3cc0-4216-11d0-89cb-008029e4b0b1}`	StarImpress 4.0
`{02b01c80-e03d-101a-b294-00dd010f2bf9}`	Microsoft fax At Work Document
`{02b3b7e0-4225-11d0-89ca-008029e4b0b1}`	StarChart 4.0
`{02b3b7e1-4225-11d0-89ca-008029e4b0b1}`	StarMath 4.0
`{0ea45ab2-9e0a-11d1-a407-00c04fb932ba}`	Microsoft Works 5-6 WordProcessor
`{18b8d021-b4fd-11d0-a97e-00a0c905410d}`	MIX (PhotoDraw)
`{1cdd8c7b-81c0-45a0-9fed-04143144cc1e}`	MAX (3ds Max)
`{28cddbc2-0ae2-11ce-a29a-00aa004a1a72}`	Microsoft Works 4 WordProcessor
`{28cddbc3-0ae2-11ce-a29a-00aa004a1a72}`	Microsoft Works 4 database
`{2e8905a0-85bd-11d1-89d0-008029e4b0b1}`	StarDraw 5.0
`{31851f84-afe6-11d2-a3c9-00c04f72f340}`	Microsoft MapPoint
`{340ac970-e30d-11d0-a53f-00a0249d57b1}`	Master 4.0
`{3f543fa0-b6a6-101b-9961-04021c007002}`	StarCalc 3.0
`{402efe60-1999-101b-99ae-04021c007002}`	WordPerfect 9 Graphic
`{402efe62-1999-101b-99ae-04021c007002}`	Corel 7-X3 presentation
`{4D29B490-49B2-11D0-93C3-7E0706000000}`	Autodesk Inventor Part
`{519873FF-2DAD-0220-1937-0000929679CD}`	WordPerfect document
`{565c7221-85bc-11d1-89d0-008029e4b0b1}`	StarImpress 5.0
`{56616700-c154-11ce-8553-00aa00a1f95b}`	FlashPix
`{56616800-c154-11ce-8553-00aa00a1f95b}`	MIX (PhotoDraw) or MIX (Picture It!)
`{59850400-6664-101B-B21C-00AA004BA90B}`	Microsoft Office Binder
`{6361d441-4235-11d0-89cb-008029e4b0b1}`	StarCalc 4.0
`{64818d10-4f9b-11cf-86ea-00aa00b929e8}`	Powerpoint 97-2003 PPT
`{6E26C7C0-8CB9-11D3-A1C8-00C04F612452}`	Microsoft Works portfolio
`{74b78f3a-c8c8-11d1-be11-00c04fb6faf1}`	Microsoft Project
`{817246F0-720A-11CF-8718-00AA0060263B}`	Microsoft PowerPoint Addin or Wizard
`{4F4D4E49-464F-524D-AFDC-0020AF286206}`	OmniForm
`{8b04e9b0-420e-11d0-a45e-00a0249d57b1}`	StarWriter 4.0
`{A9C39302-770A-11D1-893F-00802964B632}`	Easy CD Creator 4
`{af10aae0-b36d-101b-9961-04021c007002}`	StarDraw 3.0
`{bf884321-85dd-11d1-89d0-008029e4b0b1}`	StarChart 5.0
`{c20cf9d1-85ae-11d1-aab4-006097da561a}`	StarWriter 5.0
`{c20cf9d3-85ae-11d1-aab4-006097da561a}`	Master 5.0
`{c65e63e1-6c0e-11cf-842e-00aa006130ba}`	Softimage SCN
`{c6a5b861-85d6-11d1-89cb-008029e4b0b1}`	StarCalc 5.0
`{d4590460-35fd-101c-b12a-04021c007002}`	StarMath 3.0
`{dc5c7e40-b35c-101b-9961-04021c007002}`	StarWriter 3.0
`{de14f420-ac1c-11ce-be26-db67235e2689}`	CorelCAD Drawing or Template
`{ea7bae70-fb3b-11cd-a903-00aa00510ea3}`	PowerPoint 95 PPT
`{fb9c99e0-2c6d-101c-8e2c-00001b4cc711}`	StarChart 3.0
`{ffb5e640-85de-11d1-89d0-008029e4b0b1}`	StarMath 5.0
`{597CAA70-72AA-11CF-831E-524153480000}`	Adobe Flash
`{48D026F3-C031-11D1-8FAB-00A0C96E3856}`	Melco Project File
`{20EBD150-5362-417a-8221-84331F79D41D}`	Open Live Writer post
`{23F4998B-67EB-450b-A41B-C978F5B4AE25}`	Open Live Writer post

[edit] Related formats

OLE Property Set

For formats based on this format, see Category:Microsoft Compound File.

[edit] Specifications

MSDN: Compound File Binary File Format → [MS-CFB] PDF
OpenOffice.org's documentation

[edit] Programs, libraries, and utilities

Structured Storage Viewer
libolecf
OleFileIO_PL - a Python module to read MS OLE2 files
oledump.py beta
officeparser
python-oletools - python tools to analyze OLE files
OpenMCDF
Apache POI - Java API for Microsoft documents
Re-lab / OLE Toy
Office Binary (doc, xls, ppt) Translator to Open XML
7-Zip

[edit] Sample files

dexvert samples — archive/msCompound

[edit] Links

Wikipedia article
Forensics Wiki article
Joel on Software: Why are the Microsoft Office file formats so complicated?
Some (older) reverse engineered information here and a Perl module here
Malicious Office macros are not dead
MS Office 97-2003 legacy/binary formats security - article with lots of resources on MS Office formats, including analysis techniques, tools and parsing libraries
MSDN: Providing Summary Information

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 |locfdd={{LoCFDD|fdd000380}}, {{LoCFDD|fdd000392}}
 |pronom={{PRONOM|fmt/111}}
+|kaitai struct=microsoft_cfb
 }}
 :''"OLE" redirects here. See also [[OLE 1.0 object]].''
@@ Line 25: / Line 26: @@
 Files begin with signature bytes {{magic|D0 CF 11 E0 A1 B1 1A E1}}.
-Identifying the specific document type can be difficult. Some, but not all, document types can be identified by the [[CLSID]] field in the "root storage" directory entry. This field is usually located at file offset 512×(1 + {the 32-bit integer at offset 48}) + 80.
+Identifying the specific document type can be difficult. Some, but not all, document types can be identified by the [[CLSID]] field in the "root storage" directory entry. This field is usually located at file offset {SectorSize}×(1 + {the 32-bit integer at offset 48}) + 80 with {SectorSize} equal to 512 when {the 16-byte integer at offset 26} is 3, and equal to 4096 if 4.
 Some files have a stream named "<code>&lt;U+0005&gt;SummaryInformation</code>" containing metadata, which may include information about the creating application.
@@ Line 40: / Line 41: @@
 Note that the CLSIDs are stored as [[GUID]]s in little-endian binary format, so they have a strange byte order.
-{| class="wikitable"
+{| class="wikitable sortable"
 ! Root storage object CLSID !! Format
 |-
-|<code>{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}</code> || Unspecified (could be [[Windows thumbnail cache|Thumbs.db]], [[Visual Studio Solution Options file|SUO]], ...)
+|<code>{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}</code> || Unspecified (could be [[Windows thumbnail cache|Thumbs.db]], [[Visual Studio Solution Options file|SUO]], [[PageMaker]], [[Access|Microsoft Access]] wizard template, [[Easy CD Creator|Easy CD Creator]] 2 ...)
+|-
+|<code>{00000257-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}</code> || [[Family Tree Maker|Family Tree Maker FTW]] <!-- Family Tree Maker version 1-4 *.ftw or backup *.fbk-->
 |-
 |<code>{00020810-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}</code> || [[XLS|Excel 5-95 XLS]] <!-- Excel 5-95 worksheet, addin or template -->
 |-
 |<code>{00020820-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}</code> || [[XLS|Excel 97-2003 XLS]] <!-- Excel 97-2003 worksheet, addin or template -->
-|-
-|<code>{00021302-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}</code> || [[Microsoft Works Word Processor|Microsoft Works 3-4 WordProcessor]] <!-- Microsoft Works 4? document wps/ps/bps -->
-|-
-|<code>{00021303-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}</code> || [[Microsoft Works Database|Microsoft Works 3-4 database]]
 |-
 |<code>{00020900-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}</code> || [[DOC|Word 6-95 DOC]]
 |-
-|<code>{00020906-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}</code> || [[DOC]] <!-- Word 97-2003 document or template -->
+|<code>{00020906-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}</code> || [[DOC|Word 97-2003 DOC]] <!-- Word 97-2003 document or template -->
 |-
 |<code>{00020d0b-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}</code> || [[Outlook Item File|Outlook 97-2003 Item File]] <!-- Outlook 97-2003 item -->
 |-
-|<code>{00021201-0000-0000-00c0-000000000046}</code> || [[Microsoft Publisher]]
+|<code>{00021200-0000-0000-00C0-000000000046}</code> || [[Microsoft Publisher]] 95 (2.0)
+|-
+|<code>{00021201-0000-0000-00c0-000000000046}</code> || [[Microsoft Publisher]] 97-2013 (3.0-11.0)
+|-
+|<code>{00021302-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}</code> || [[Microsoft Works Word Processor|Microsoft Works 3-4 WordProcessor]] <!-- Microsoft Works 4? document wps/ps/bps -->
+|-
+|<code>{00021303-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}</code> || [[Microsoft Works Database|Microsoft Works 3-4 database]]
 |-
 |<code>{00021a13-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}</code> || [[Visio]] 2000-2002
 |-
 |<code>{00021a14-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}</code> || [[Visio]] 2003-2010
+|-
+|<code>{00022c44-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}</code> || [[Greenstreet_Publisher|GST DTP formats]]
+|-
+|<code>{00022C60-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}</code> || [[Greenstreet_Publisher|GST]] [[GST_ART|Art drawing]]
 |-
 |<code>{00044851-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}</code> || [[PPT|PowerPoint 4.0 PPT]] <!-- PowerPoint 4.0 presentation -->
 |-
 |<code>{0006f046-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}</code> || [[Outlook Item File|Outlook 97-2003 Item template]] <!-- Outlook 97-2003 item template -->
+|-
+|<code>{000C1082-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}</code> || [[Windows Installer]] transform script MST
 |-
 |<code>{000c1084-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}</code> || [[Windows Installer|MSI]]
@@ Line 74: / Line 85: @@
 |-
 |<code>{012d3cc0-4216-11d0-89cb-008029e4b0b1}</code> || [[StarOffice binary formats|StarImpress 4.0]] <!-- StarOffice StarImpress 4.0 presentation or template sdd/vor -->
+|-
+|<code>{02b01c80-e03d-101a-b294-00dd010f2bf9}</code> || [[AWD (At Work Document)|Microsoft fax At Work Document]]
 |-
 |<code>{02b3b7e0-4225-11d0-89ca-008029e4b0b1}</code> || [[StarOffice binary formats|StarChart 4.0]] <!-- StarOffice StarChart 4.0 sds -->
@@ Line 80: / Line 93: @@
 |-
 |<code>{0ea45ab2-9e0a-11d1-a407-00c04fb932ba}</code> || [[Microsoft Works Word Processor|Microsoft Works 5-6 WordProcessor]] <!-- Microsoft Works 5-6 document wps -->
-|-
-|<code>{1cdd8c7b-81c0-45a0-9fed-04143144cc1e}</code> || [[MAX (3ds Max)]]
 |-
 |<code>{18b8d021-b4fd-11d0-a97e-00a0c905410d}</code> || [[MIX (PhotoDraw)]]
+|-
+|<code>{1cdd8c7b-81c0-45a0-9fed-04143144cc1e}</code> || [[MAX (3ds Max)]]
 |-
 |<code>{28cddbc2-0ae2-11ce-a29a-00aa004a1a72}</code> || [[Microsoft Works Word Processor|Microsoft Works 4 WordProcessor]] <!-- Microsoft Works 4 document wps -->
@@ Line 90: / Line 103: @@
 |-
 |<code>{2e8905a0-85bd-11d1-89d0-008029e4b0b1}</code> || [[StarOffice binary formats|StarDraw 5.0]] <!-- StarOffice StarDraw 5.0 drawing or template sda/vor -->
+|-
+|<code>{31851f84-afe6-11d2-a3c9-00c04f72f340}</code> || [[Microsoft MapPoint]]
 |-
 |<code>{340ac970-e30d-11d0-a53f-00a0249d57b1}</code> || [[StarOffice binary formats|Master 4.0]] <!-- StarOffice Master 4.0 document sgl -->
@@ Line 98: / Line 113: @@
 |-
 |<code>{402efe62-1999-101b-99ae-04021c007002}</code> || [[SHW_(Corel)|Corel 7-X3 presentation]] <!-- WordPerfect 7-X3 presentation shw -->
+|-
+|<code>{4D29B490-49B2-11D0-93C3-7E0706000000}</code> || |[[IPT|Autodesk Inventor]] Part <!-- *.ipt about year 2019 -->
 |-
 |<code>{519873FF-2DAD-0220-1937-0000929679CD}</code> || [[WordPerfect]] document <!-- UNKNOWN VERSION https://fossies.org/linux/wp2latex/test/ole6.wpd -->
@@ Line 106: / Line 123: @@
 |-
 |<code>{56616800-c154-11ce-8553-00aa00a1f95b}</code> || [[MIX (PhotoDraw)]] or [[MIX (Picture It!)]]
+|-
+|<code>{59850400-6664-101B-B21C-00AA004BA90B}</code> || [[OBD|Microsoft Office Binder]] <!-- tested only version 8; OBD for document like BINDER.OBD, OBT for template like REPORT.OBT and OBZ for Wizard -->
 |-
 |<code>{6361d441-4235-11d0-89cb-008029e4b0b1}</code> || [[StarOffice binary formats|StarCalc 4.0]] <!-- StarOffice StarCalc 4.0 spreadsheet or template sdc/vor -->
 |-
-|<code>{64818d10-4f9b-11cf-86ea-00aa00b929e8}</code> || [[PPT]] <!-- PowerPoint 97-2003 presentation or template ppt/pps/pot -->
+|<code>{64818d10-4f9b-11cf-86ea-00aa00b929e8}</code> || [[PPT|Powerpoint 97-2003 PPT]] <!-- PowerPoint 97-2003 presentation or template ppt/pps/pot -->
 |-
 |<code>{6E26C7C0-8CB9-11D3-A1C8-00C04F612452}</code> || [[Microsoft Works]] portfolio <!-- Microsoft Works (organizer for pictures; probably version 6 and 7) portfolio wsbsamp.wsb -->
 |-
-|<code>{74b78f3a-c8c8-11d1-be11-00c04fb6faf1}</code> || Microsoft Project <!-- Microsoft Project mpp -->
+|<code>{74b78f3a-c8c8-11d1-be11-00c04fb6faf1}</code> || [[Microsoft Project]] <!-- Microsoft Project mpp -->
+|-
+|<code>{817246F0-720A-11CF-8718-00AA0060263B}</code> || [[Microsoft PowerPoint]] Addin or Wizard <!-- only version 97 tested; Microsoft Powerpoint Addin like BSHPPT97.PPA or Wizard like "AutoContent Wizard.pwz" -->
+|-
+|<code>{4F4D4E49-464F-524D-AFDC-0020AF286206}</code> || [[OmniForm]]
 |-
 |<code>{8b04e9b0-420e-11d0-a45e-00a0249d57b1}</code> || [[StarOffice binary formats|StarWriter 4.0]] <!-- StarOffice StarWriter 4.0 document or template sdw/vor -->
+|-
+|<code>{A9C39302-770A-11D1-893F-00802964B632}</code> || [[Easy CD Creator|Easy CD Creator]] 4 <!-- *.cl4 -->
 |-
 |<code>{af10aae0-b36d-101b-9961-04021c007002}</code> || [[StarOffice binary formats|StarDraw 3.0]] <!-- StarOffice StarDraw 3.0 drawing or template sdd/sda/vor -->
@@ Line 132: / Line 157: @@
 |-
 |<code>{dc5c7e40-b35c-101b-9961-04021c007002}</code> || [[StarOffice binary formats|StarWriter 3.0]] <!-- StarOffice StarWriter 3.0 document or template sdw/vor -->
+|-
+|<code>{de14f420-ac1c-11ce-be26-db67235e2689}</code> || [[CorelCAD|CorelCAD]] Drawing or Template <!-- CorelCAD Drawing *.ccd or Tenmplate *.cct -->
 |-
 |<code>{ea7bae70-fb3b-11cd-a903-00aa00510ea3}</code> || [[PPT|PowerPoint 95 PPT]] <!-- PowerPoint 95 presentation ppt/pot -->
@@ Line 139: / Line 166: @@
 |<code>{ffb5e640-85de-11d1-89d0-008029e4b0b1}</code> || [[StarOffice binary formats|StarMath 5.0]] <!-- StarOffice StarMath 5.0 smf -->
 |-
+|<code>{597CAA70-72AA-11CF-831E-524153480000}</code> || [[FLA|Adobe Flash]]
+|-
+|<code>{48D026F3-C031-11D1-8FAB-00A0C96E3856}</code> || [[OFM|Melco Project File]]
+|-
+|<code>{20EBD150-5362-417a-8221-84331F79D41D}</code> || [[Open Live Writer post]]
+|-
+|<code>{23F4998B-67EB-450b-A41B-C978F5B4AE25}</code> || [[Open Live Writer post]]
 |}
@@ Line 160: / Line 194: @@
 * [https://poi.apache.org/ Apache POI] - Java API for Microsoft documents
 * [https://github.com/renyxa/re-lab Re-lab / OLE Toy]
+* [https://b2xtranslator.sourceforge.net/ Office Binary (doc, xls, ppt) Translator to Open XML]
 * [[7-Zip]]
 == Sample files ==
-* https://telparia.com/fileFormatSamples/archive/msCompound/travel.gal
+* {{DexvertSamples|archive/msCompound}}
 == Links ==
 * [[Wikipedia:Compound File Binary Format|Wikipedia article]]
-* [http://www.forensicswiki.org/wiki/OLE_Compound_File Forensics Wiki article]
+* [{{ForensicsWikiURL|ole_compound_file}} Forensics Wiki article]
 * [http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/02/19.html Joel on Software: Why are the Microsoft Office file formats so complicated?]
 * Some (older) reverse engineered information [http://stuff.mit.edu/afs/athena/astaff/project/mimeutils/share/laola/guide.html here] and a Perl module [http://stuff.mit.edu/afs/athena/astaff/project/mimeutils/share/laola/laola.pl here]

Microsoft Compound File

Latest revision as of 18:37, 26 December 2024

Contents

[edit] Identification

[edit] Root storage object CLSIDs

[edit] Related formats

[edit] Specifications

[edit] Programs, libraries, and utilities

[edit] Sample files

[edit] Links

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