Winword Macro Viruses: unsafe to use Word as a viewer?

• To: www-security@ns2.rutgers.edu
• Subject: Winword Macro Viruses: unsafe to use Word as a viewer?
• From: Prentiss Riddle <riddle@is.rice.edu>
• Date: Tue, 13 Feb 1996 05:52:40 -0600 (CST)

In reference to CIAC Information Bulletin G-10a, "Winword Macro
Viruses":

	http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/bulletins/g-10a.shtml

I assume that this problem makes it inadvisable to configure Word or
Excel as an external viewer in conjunction with a web browser (i.e.,
don't configure Netscape to automatically fire up Word or Excel when
you download a Word or Excel file).

Unless, that is, one could figure out how to automatically invoke the
Microsoft macro virus detection tool (as recommended by the CIAC
advisory) before invoking Word or Excel.  Has anyone tried this?  Is
the Microsoft macro virus checker an add-on to Word or a separate
application?

And has CERT or CIAC or any other agency issued an advisory which
addresses the issue of Word macro viruses in the context of the Web?

-- Prentiss Riddle ("aprendiz de todo, maestro de nada") riddle@rice.edu
-- RiceInfo Administrator, Rice University / http://is.rice.edu/~riddle
-- Home office: 2002-A Guadalupe St. #285, Austin, TX 78705 / 512-323-0708
-- Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of my employer.

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