Addendum July 7, 22:

According to Heise Online, MS takes back the protection described in the article:

“Dangerous macros:
Microsoft backpedals on protection for Office users“

“Microsoft is taking back the blocking of dangerous macros, which was widely announced as protection against ransomware. It didn’t work reliably anyway.”

Source: Heise Online https://www.heise.de/news/Microsoft-rudert-beim-Makroschutz-fuer-Office-Nutzer-zurueck-7166085.html

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The Excel 4.0 macros offer users advantages on the one hand, and on the other hand serve as a perfect gateway for cybercriminals to spread malware. Microsoft wants to counteract the danger and deactivate it by default.

 

Microsoft mitigates the danger of Excel 4.0 macros

Since 2020, the number of attacks via Excel 4.0 macros has increased drastically, as evidenced in the Heise article.

Microsoft Excel 4.0 macros (based on XML) were introduced at that time to insert and execute macro commands in cells of an Excel sheet. In the meantime, there is the latest version Excel 5.0, where VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) was introduced. However, Microsoft Excel 4.0 still supports macros in current versions of Excel.

Microsoft reacts to the outgoing danger and therefore recommends its users to do without Excel 4.0 macros and to migrate to 5.0 macros. Also, measures will be taken to gradually disable Excel 4.0 macros by default in the settings in the future.

 

Excel 4.0 Macro Update: Rollout in 3 Steps

1. Office 365 Insiders who are registered in the Slow Channel will receive the new settings via update from the end of October to the beginning of November.
2. For Office 365 users who receive updates through the Current Channel, the settings will be adjusted from early to mid-November 2021.
3. Users who are signed in to Microsoft Office 365’s Monthly Enterprise Channel (MEC) will receive the update with the new settings in mid-December 2021.

TO THE ARTICLE →

4.0 macro danger contained, but not yet eliminated

The update is only an adjustment of the settings. The macros are therefore still widespread. Therefore, we recommend that you still protect yourself from potentially dangerous macros in email attachments. You can do this, for example, by using a filter that protects you on several levels and blocks executable files with possible danger.
LEARN MORE →

 

If you have any questions or other concerns about e-mail security, we will of course be happy to assist you. Contact us by e-mail at support@secumail.de or by phone at +49 (0) 8171-246920!

 

Sources and further information

You still want to use Excel 4.0 macros? LEARN MORE →

Data Source Provider: Article by Heise

Image Source : Tweet by Omri Segev Moyal