Your computer can simply be hijacked just by opening a Microsoft Office Word file!
How to protect yourself against this attack?
Since the attack works on fully patched systems, users are highly advised to follow the recommendations below to mitigate such attacks:
- Do not open or download any suspicious Word files that arrive in an e-mail, even if you know the sender until Microsoft releases a patch.
- Since the attack does not work when a malicious document is viewed in Office Protected View mode, users are advised to enable this feature to view any Office documents.
- Always keep your system and antivirus up-to-date.
- Regularly backup your files in an external hard-drive.
- Disabling Macros does not offer any protection, yet users are advised to do so in an attempt to protect themselves against other attacks.
- Always beware of phishing emails, spams, and clicking the malicious attachment.
Read more at: https://securingtomorrow.mcafee.com/mcafee-labs/critical-office-zero-day-attacks-detected-wild/
Credit: Kramo