Hackers have lengthy used Phrase and Excel paperwork as supply automobiles for malware, and in 2025, these tips are removed from outdated. From phishing schemes to zero-click exploits, malicious Workplace recordsdata are nonetheless one of many best methods right into a sufferer’s system.
Listed here are the highest three Microsoft Workplace-based exploits nonetheless making the rounds this 12 months and what you might want to know to keep away from them.
1. Phishing in MS Workplace: Nonetheless Hackers’ Favourite
Phishing assaults utilizing Microsoft Workplace recordsdata have been round for years, they usually’re nonetheless going sturdy. Why? As a result of they work, particularly in enterprise environments the place groups always change Phrase and Excel paperwork.
Attackers know that persons are used to opening Workplace recordsdata, particularly if they arrive from what seems like a colleague, a consumer, or a companion. A faux bill, a shared report, or a job supply: it would not take a lot to persuade somebody to click on. And as soon as the file is open, the attacker has their probability.
Phishing with Workplace recordsdata usually goals to steal login credentials. These paperwork may embody:
- Hyperlinks to faux Microsoft 365 login pages
- Phishing portals that mimic firm instruments or providers
- Redirect chains that ultimately land on credential-harvesting websites
On this ANY.RUN malware evaluation session, an Excel file accommodates malicious phishing hyperlink:
View evaluation session with Excel file
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| Excel file containing malicious hyperlink detected inside ANY.RUN sandbox |
When clicked, the sufferer is taken to a webpage that reveals a Cloudflare “Confirm you are a human” verify.
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| CloudFlare verification handed with ANY.RUN’s automated interactivity |
After clicking by means of, there’s one other redirect; this time to a faux Microsoft login web page.
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| Malicious hyperlink to faux Microsoft login web page with random characters |
At first look, it would look actual. However contained in the ANY.RUN sandbox, it is simple to identify pink flags. The Microsoft login URL is not official; it is stuffed with random characters and clearly would not belong to Microsoft’s area.
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This faux login web page is the place the sufferer unknowingly arms over their login credentials straight to the attacker.
Attackers are additionally getting extra artistic. These days, some phishing paperwork include QR codes embedded in them. These are supposed to be scanned with a smartphone, sending the sufferer to a phishing web site or triggering a malware obtain. Nonetheless, they are often detected and analyzed with instruments like ANY.RUN sandbox too.
2. CVE-2017-11882: The Equation Editor Exploit That Will not Die
First found in 2017, CVE-2017-11882 continues to be exploited at the moment, in environments working outdated variations of Microsoft Workplace.
This vulnerability targets the Microsoft Equation Editor – a hardly ever used element that was a part of older Workplace builds. Exploiting it’s dangerously easy: simply opening a malicious Phrase file can set off the exploit. No macros, no further clicks wanted.
On this case, the attacker makes use of the flaw to obtain and run a malware payload within the background, usually by means of a distant server connection.
In our evaluation session, the payload delivered was Agent Tesla, a recognized info-stealer used to seize keystrokes, credentials, and clipboard information.
View evaluation session with malicious payload
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| Phishing e mail containing malicious Excel attachment |
Within the MITRE ATT&CK part of this evaluation, we are able to see how ANY.RUN sandbox detected this particular method used within the assault:
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| Exploitation of Equation Editor detected by ANY.RUN |
Though Microsoft patched the vulnerability years in the past, it is nonetheless helpful for attackers focusing on techniques that have not been up to date. And with macros disabled by default in newer Workplace variations, CVE-2017-11882 has change into a fallback for cybercriminals who need assured execution.
3. CVE-2022-30190: Follina’s Nonetheless within the Recreation
The Follina exploit (CVE-2022-30190) continues to be a favourite amongst attackers for one easy purpose: it really works with out macros and would not require any consumer interplay past opening a Phrase file.
Follina abuses the Microsoft Help Diagnostic Software (MSDT) and particular URLs embedded in Workplace paperwork to execute distant code. Which means simply viewing the file is sufficient to launch malicious scripts, usually PowerShell-based, that contact a command-and-control server.
View evaluation session with Follina
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| Follina method detected inside ANY.RUN sandbox |
In our malware evaluation pattern, the assault went a step additional. We noticed the “stegocampaign” tag, which signifies using steganography – a method the place malware is hidden inside picture recordsdata.
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| Use of Steganography within the assault |
The picture is downloaded and processed utilizing PowerShell, extracting the precise payload with out elevating speedy alarms.
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| Picture with malicious payload analyzed inside ANY.RUN |
To make issues worse, Follina is commonly utilized in multi-stage assault chains, combining different vulnerabilities or payloads to extend the affect.
What This Means for Groups Utilizing MS Workplace
In case your crew depends closely on Microsoft Workplace for day-to-day work, the assaults talked about above ought to be a wake-up name.
Cybercriminals know Workplace recordsdata are trusted and extensively utilized in enterprise. That is why they proceed to take advantage of them. Whether or not it is a easy Excel sheet hiding a phishing hyperlink or a Phrase doc silently working malicious code, these recordsdata can pose critical dangers to your group’s safety.
Here is what your crew can do:
- Evaluate how Workplace paperwork are dealt with internally; restrict who can open or obtain recordsdata from exterior sources.
- Use instruments like ANY.RUN sandbox to examine suspicious recordsdata in a protected, remoted setting earlier than anybody in your crew opens them.
- Replace all Workplace software program recurrently and disable legacy options like macros or the Equation Editor the place potential.
- Keep knowledgeable about new exploit strategies tied to Workplace codecs so your safety crew can reply rapidly.
Analyze Cellular Malware with ANY.RUN’s New Android OS Help
The menace would not cease at Workplace recordsdata. Cellular gadgets at the moment are a key goal, and attackers are spreading malware by means of faux apps, phishing hyperlinks, and malicious APKs.
This implies a rising assault floor for companies and the necessity for broader visibility.
With ANY.RUN’s new Android OS help, your safety crew can now:
- Analyze Android malware in an actual cell setting
- Examine suspicious APK conduct earlier than it hits manufacturing gadgets
- Reply to cell threats quicker and with extra readability
- Help incident response throughout each desktop and cell ecosystems
It is a large step towards full protection and it is accessible on all plans, together with free.
Begin your first Android menace evaluation at the moment and provides your safety analysts the visibility they should shield your cell assault floor.
