PowerPoint/Excel Update Fixes Macro Vulnerability -- Microsoft has released a patch that prevents potentially malicious macro code from running in PowerPoint and Excel. The PowerPoint/Excel 2001 for Mac Macro Vulnerability Update fixes a problem where a macro embedded in a document could run automatically without causing PowerPoint 2001 for Mac and Excel 2001 for Mac to display the customary warning. Once the update is installed, PowerPoint and Excel files containing macros are identified as such with a warning dialog box. You need Microsoft's earlier Office 2001 for Mac Service Release 1 to apply the new update, which is a 740K download. PowerPoint 98 Macintosh Edition and Excel 98 Macintosh Edition are also vulnerable and are similarly fixed by the PowerPoint/Excel 98 for Mac Macro Vulnerability Update (a 2.7 MB download), which requires that you first run the Combined Updater for Office 98. [JLC]

<http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/office/ 2001/powerpoint/>
<http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/office/ 2001/excel/>
<http://www.microsoft.com/mac/download/ office2001/pptxlmacro.asp>
<http://www.microsoft.com/mac/download/ office2001/sr1.asp>
<http://www.microsoft.com/mac/download/office98/ pptxlmacro.asp>
<http://www.microsoft.com/mac/download/office98/ Off98Updater.asp>