Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 126641
Update links when opening preference ignored
Last modified: 2017-09-27 15:22:22 UTC
Created attachment 85125 [details] Screenshot of settings/prompt When opening a document with links to other docs, prompt appears: "This file contains links to other files. Should they be updated?". Under preferences, openoffice, calc, general, updating: "Update links when opening" is set to "Always". Therefore, I should not be prompted to open the links. This started happening after upgrading from 4.1.1 to 4.1.2
possible fallout of revision 1707169 http://svn.apache.org/viewvc?rev=1707169&view=rev http://svn.apache.org/viewvc?rev=1707172&view=rev (AOO410) can't find related issue due wrong commit comment / hidden issue? adding Andrea Pescetti to solve mystery
(In reply to Matt from comment #0) > Created attachment 85125 [details] > Screenshot of settings/prompt > > When opening a document with links to other docs, prompt appears: "This file > contains links to other files. Should they be updated?". > > Under preferences, openoffice, calc, general, updating: "Update links when > opening" is set to "Always". > > Therefore, I should not be prompted to open the links. This started > happening after upgrading from 4.1.1 to 4.1.2 This change is by design. The change is part of the remedy for security issue CVE-2015-4551, with advisory at https://www.openoffice.org/security/cves/CVE-2015-4551.html. To expedite that solution, the "Always" configuration option has been disabled. It *may* be that a less heavy-handed approach (rather than requiring that users always confirm link-updating in Writer and Calc) is possible. That will require more analysis. The possible outcomes are (1) the "Always" options are simply removed, (2) some kinds of links to outside-the-document resources will always prompt, (3) some kinds of links to outside-the-document will not be allowed (similar to Excel and Word behavior), or (4) some combination/alternative not yet considered. For now, this is by-design, and this clearly does raise an issue for some practices involving linked resources. I am confirming this for all platforms and changing it to an Enhancement matter with regard to improved usability while guarding against the CVE-2015-4551 exploit.
I confirm what Dennis wrote. Note that the implementation in 4.1.2 is meant to allow (of course, this is for trusted environments only!) the automatic update of links if you lower your security macro to the minimum level in Tools - Options - OpenOffice - Security. In that case you won't be prompted.
*** Issue 127213 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***