Title

Force encrypted macros to be scanned in open XML documents must be determined and configured. (Cat II impact)

Discussion

When an Office Open XML document (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) is rights-managed, or password-protected, any macros embedded in the document are encrypted along with the rest of the contents. By default, these encrypted macros will be disabled unless they are scanned by antivirus software immediately before being loaded. If this default configuration is modified, Office products will not require encrypted macros to be scanned before loading. They will be handled as specified by the Office System macro security settings, which can cause macro viruses to load undetected and lead to data loss or reduced application functionality.

Check Content

Fix Text

Set the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Word 2010 -> Word Options -> Security -> Trust Center “Scan encrypted macros in Word Open XML documents” to “Enabled (Scan encrypted macros (default))”.

Additional Identifiers

Rule ID: SV-33613r1_rule

Vulnerability ID: V-17473

Group Title:

Expert Comments

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