As Microsoft blocks Office macros, hackers find new attack vectors

Gandalf_The_Grey

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Apr 24, 2016
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Hackers who normally distributed malware via phishing attachments with malicious macros gradually changed tactics after Microsoft Office began blocking them by default, switching to new file types such as ISO, RAR, and Windows Shortcut (LNK) attachments.

VBA and XL4 Macros are small programs created to automate repetitive tasks in Microsoft Office applications, which threat actors abuse for loading, dropping, or installing malware via malicious Microsoft Office document attachments sent in phishing emails.

The reason for the switch is Microsoft announcing that they would end the massive abuse of the Office subsystem by automatically blocking macros by default and making it harder to activate them.

Although it took Microsoft a little longer to implement this Microsoft Office change, the block finally entered into effect last week.

However, the initial announcement alone convinced malware operators to move away from macros and begin experimenting with alternative methods to infect victims.
 

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