Microsoft Word Attack

Microsoft Word 2000 is under attack, again. A new unpatched bug is currently being exploited by attackers.

Here’s what happens: A user receives an email with a Word document attached (an infected Word document). If the user opens that malicious document AND is a user of Word 2000, a Trojan horse drops another file onto the user’s computer; that file loads yet another file onto the machine. It is this second file that leaves the user’s machine open to more dastardly (I have been dying to use that word) attacks.

This vulnerability is, as yet, unpatched. Additionally, it may be a problem for other versions of Word but still undetected. Microsoft’s next round of patches are due to be released next Tuesday (September 12). Hopefully, this will be one of the fixes.

Until then, do not open Microsoft Word documents which you receive in e-mail.