{"id":52447,"date":"2016-09-06T12:55:53","date_gmt":"2016-09-06T19:55:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.mcafee.com\/?p=52447"},"modified":"2025-08-15T03:03:35","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T10:03:35","slug":"microsoft-word-malware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/internet-security\/microsoft-word-malware\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft Discovers Malware in Word Files! Here\u2019s What You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Microsoft Word is omnipresent. Students use it for their academic careers and office workers, well, office workers pretty much live in Word files. However, the program\u2019s ubiquity is a useful tool for cybercriminals, who have for a long time infected Word files<\/a> with malware<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an old standby that\u2019s constantly updated to stick with the times. In its latest iteration, cybercriminals have used a longstanding Word feature, called Macros, to slip malicious code into documents.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a sneaky method. While it\u2019s one thing to ask people to download an unrecognized file, such as .RAW or .exe in an email, it\u2019s another thing to embed malware within <\/em>trusted Microsoft Word documents, which this attack does.<\/p>\n

In the latest Macro attack, hidden lines of code can route your computer\u2019s web traffic<\/a> through a proxy server \u2014 allowing cybercriminals to intercept traffic. Although this attack isn\u2019t widespread, it is powerful. Crooks can steal usernames and passwords with ease, by being a \u201cman-in-the-middle<\/a>\u201d between a computer and the internet.<\/p>\n

But in order for this man-in-the-middle attack to take place, someone has to open an infected file. To do this, cybercriminals use social engineering \u2014\u00a0techniques where cybercriminals impersonate someone else for the purpose of infecting a computer or stealing sensitive information. Usually, this comes in the form of messages from both trustworthy entities or complete strangers asking you to look at a simple Word file.<\/p>\n

Three Safety Steps<\/h2>\n

Cybercriminals are getting creative. This Microsoft Word hack may be old, but it demonstrates how actors can recycle old methods into new concepts. Still, the discerning consumer can protect themselves.With that in mind, here are three safety steps everyone should know:<\/p>\n

Check for email senders\u2019 authenticity. <\/strong>To bait people into opening files, cybercriminals use official logos and email addresses that look similar to a real company\u2019s. However, don\u2019t be fooled. Make sure the sender address is from the real website. And if you\u2019re not expecting to receive a file, do a quick search or contact the company first.<\/p>\n