The weakness is rated 7.8 out of 10 for severity on the CVSS vulnerability scoring system. Microsoft Office versions Office 2013, Office 2016, Office 2019, and Office 2021, as well as Professional Plus editions, are impacted.
An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can run arbitrary code with the privileges of the calling application. The attacker can then install programs, view, change, or delete data, or create new accounts in the context allowed by the user’s rights.
Additionally, open-source research suggests that a Rich Text Format file (.rtf) can also trigger the invocation of this exploit through the preview pane within Windows Explorer, thus extending the severity of this threat.
- Workarounds:
Customers with Microsoft Defender Antivirus should turn-on cloud-delivered protection and automatic sample submission. These capabilities use artificial intelligence and machine learning to quickly identify and stop new and unknown threats.
Customers of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint can enable attack surface reduction rule “BlockOfficeCreateProcessRule” that blocks Office apps from creating child processes. Creating malicious child processes is a common malware strategy. For more information see Attack surface reduction rules overview. However, if organizations are not yet using ASR, they may wish to run the rule in Audit mode first and monitor the outcome to ensure there is no adverse impact on end users.
To mitigate exploitation organizations may consider removing the file type association for ms-msdt. When the malicious document is opened,
Office will not be able to invoke the application thus preventing the malware from running. Be sure to make a backup of the registry settings prior to using this mitigation.
For more detailed information on next steps, please visit Microsoft Security Response Center
Sources: Microsoft /Sans.edu / HackerNews
Security Alert: Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool Vulnerability
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Welcome!
If you are reading this guide, you are about to embark on a process that will help your organization harness the potential of technology to deliver your mission and best serve your community. Proactively planning for technology is about more than replacing old computers (although that might be part of your plan!). This process will help your organization fundamentally shift the way you approach technology investments toward greater mission achievement and community impact. It will identify opportunities for technology to help you control costs, reduce risk, raise funds, and empower staff.
Strategic technology planning – much like any strategic planning process – is a comprehensive look at the current state and the desired future state for your organization. If you just need some new computers, this may not be the right process. But if you are ready to treat technology as a mission-critical investment that can accelerate your organization’s impact, you are in the right place! Your nonprofit has much to gain from appropriately integrating technology into your operations, communications, fundraising, and service delivery. This guide offers step-by-step support to help you lead your organization through technology planning, resulting in a roadmap to smart technology use.
Acknowledgements
This guide has been produced through the generous support of the Rasmuson Foundation, a private foundation that works as a catalyst to promote a better life for Alaskans. Learn more at www.rasmuson.org. It was written and edited by Lindsay Bealko of Toolkit Consulting, who helps mission-minded organizations design creative communications, engaging education, and powerful programs. Learn more at www.toolkitconsulting.com.
Special thanks to Orion Matthews and Jeremiah Dunham of DesignPT for their substantial contributions to and reviews of this guide to make it as useful as possible to nonprofit organizations who are ready to harness the strategic potential of technology. Learn more and request help with your strategic technology plan at www.designpt.com.