PowerPoint/Excel Update Fixes Macro Vulnerability
Microsoft has released a patch that prevents potential malicious macro code from running in PowerPoint 2001 for Mac and Excel 2001 for Mac. 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 and Excel 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.