Vulnerability in Microsoft Word

12/6/06 By

Microsoft Security Advisory (929433): Vulnerability in Microsoft Word Could Allow Remote Code Execution

Microsoft is investigating a new report of limited “zero-day” attacks using a vulnerability in Microsoft Word 2000, Microsoft Word 2002, Microsoft Office Word 2003, Microsoft Word Viewer 2003, Microsoft Word 2004 for Mac, and Microsoft Word 2004 v. X for Mac, as well as Microsoft Works 2004, 2005, and 2006.

Though I rarely use Word myself, this is a MS flaw worth noting since it affects Mac as well as PC. As always — use extreme caution when you receive email with an attachment of any kind that you weren’t expecting, or even if you were expecting it.

If there’s ever any doubt in you mind about an email attachment, I highly recommend using ClamXav to scan your mail directory (~/Library/Mail) for any nasties — though I’m not entirely sure if ClamX would catch this one or not.

I’ll be putting up an in-depth ClamXav usage tutorial in the near future for those who aren’t familiar with it.

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Filed Under: Apple, Software
About Jim Mitchell

Jim started out with a Mac SE/30 and a whole lot of love for that machine. It was during those early years working with PageMaker, Freehand & Photoshop that he learned the importance of keeping a system in tip-top shape. Now, as a systems admin with more than 20 years of experience under his belt, Jim’s ongoing efforts help keep the Macs of others running smoothly. You can follow Jim on Twitter at @jimmitchell.