Zero-Day Attack: Microsoft Word 2000
The Problem
Users of Microsoft Word 2000 may fall victim to the latest Trojan attack unless they take proactive steps to defend themselves. Vulnerable users may find their machines running malicious programs without their consent.
The Patch?
Microsoft has not yet issued a patch for the vulnerability. When they do, you will hear it about it on the Wisdom Blog.
Protecting Yourself Right Now
Users running Word 2000 on Windows XP do not appear to be vulnerable. But if you’re running on Windows 2000, here are some things you can do to protect yourself until the patch becomes available:
- Practice “safe computing”. Only open Microsoft Word (.doc) attachments from people you know and trust.
- Never open attachments ending in .exe, .bat, .com, .vbs, or any other executable extension.
- Ask your network administrator to block emails with executable attachments.
- Confirm that our network is running the antivirus software with the latest updates.
History has shown that there is always another virus/malware/spyware threat on the horizon. The best way to protect yourself: be prepared!