Last week, cybersecurity experts announced several different security flaws in the popular Microsoft Office productivity suite.
The first unpatched vulnerability affects Office and Windows products, according to an urgent warning from the software giant. Microsoft documented “a series of remote code execution attacks” that try and trick users into opening specially crafted Office files like Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations. If the documents are opened, malware can be installed immediately on affected computers, stealing data and compromising credentials.
Microsoft said the issue may be addressed by an out-of-cycle security update, although systems already using the security add-on Defender for Office are protected from attachments that attempt to exploit this vulnerability. But without Defender in place—or enhanced network security from a trusted IT provider protecting your systems—a vulnerability like this one can continue to be exploited until a patch is released.
A separate security bulletin from Microsoft outlined a phishing campaign that leverages a similar Office exploit but with infected Word documents. Early reports indicate that Russian spies and international cybercriminals may be using this scam to target defense contractors and government entities in Europe and North America.
A patch for this particular flaw was released last week, alongside fixes for nine other problems rated “critical,” Microsoft’s highest severity rating, and five bugs listed in the company’s “exploitation-detected” category.
Finally, international cybersecurity firm Kaspersky revealed a surge in the number of recent cases of hackers exploiting a years-old vulnerability that affects Microsoft Office 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. According to researchers, 11,394 users encountered these types of attacks in the second quarter of 2023, an increase of 483% compared with the first quarter of 2023, when only 1,954 cases were documented.
This scheme targets users who have opted out of transitioning Microsoft Office licenses to the suite’s newer subscription-based model, often leaving their older versions of the application unprotected by automatic security updates. Unlike the other scams, though, this vulnerability can be exploited to install malware and ransomware in the background of a computer, without the user taking any action.
What Can You Do to Protect Your Business and Your Systems?
Over the last 25 years, CMIT Solutions has helped thousands of clients across North America navigate the ever-changing landscape of Microsoft products. We roll out security patches and software updates automatically while taking a careful, budget-conscious approach to upgrades. We offer comprehensive IT support that solves today’s problems and ensures smooth day-to-day operations—all while setting your business up for sustained success in the future.
If you need help understanding Office vulnerabilities or checking to see whether cybersecurity protections are in place on your computers, contact us today.
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