Users of Microsoft Word 2003 to the current version on PC or the 2011 version for Mac, which means any version of Outlook or other Microsoft application in which Word is the default text editor may want to avoid RTF attachments for the next while. There is an exploit in the wild which could allow a nefariously modified RTF file to give an attacker access to the machine which it was opened on at the same level as the user. This does mean that those who follow the advice of most Windows admins and do not log in to an administrator level account for day to day work need not worry overly but those who ignore the advice may find themselves compromised. As The Register points out, just previewing the attachment in Outlook is enough to trigger a possible infection.
"Microsoft has warned its Word software is vulnerable to a newly discovered dangerous bug – which is being exploited right now in "limited, targeted attacks" in the wild. There is no patch available at this time."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- Hey, Glasshole: That cool app? It has turned you into a SPY DRONE @ The Register
- Remote ATM Attack Uses SMS To Dispense Cash @ Slashdot
- Brain structure inspires FinFET @ Nanotechweb
- Ubuntu 14.04: Intel's Haswell Linux Driver Comes Up Short Of Windows @ Phoronix
- How to Manage Btrfs Storage Pools, Subvolumes And Snapshots on Linux (part 1) @ Linux.com
- Intel desktop Haswell Refresh processors to be available in April @ DigiTimes