Zero-Day PowerPoint Exploit Surfaces

By Nate Mook | Published July 13, 2006, 4:26 PM

Symantec on Wednesday issued an advisory about a new trojan that takes advantage of an undocumented vulnerability in PowerPoint to infect a victim's computer with a backdoor. The malware, dubbed Trojan.PPDropper.B, uses a malformed string to execute code and modify EXPLORER.EXE.

While Symantec only gives PPDropper.B a risk level of "Very Low," Sunbelt Software CEO Alex Eckelberry notes that the attack looks more intended for corporate espionage than causing widespread damage. The trojan is currently being spread via e-mail, with a subject containing Chinese characters.

Comments

I got a fever...and the only thing that's gonna cure it is.....

.....more cowbell!

Score: 0

|

This is now approaching critical mass. Unlike the previous zero days, there are few workarounds other than blocking them at the gateway.

Score: 0

|

i don't know much people use PPT except in the corporate world. Most of the time, they create their out presentation and pass around with their own small team. And again, this require user to open the file from stranger

Score: 0

|

Blah blah blah.

More holes in software.

Blah blah blah.

It will never stop so get over it.

Score: 0

|

If you're trying to get your account terminated, I'd say you're well on your way. Keep up the good work!

Score: 0

|

If you're trying to look like a knownothing idiot, I'd say you're well on your way. Keep up the good work!

Score: 0

|

Normally I don't agree with wincement on very much but this time I have to agree. You need to use that brain between you ears for something besides holding up your hair.

Score: 0

|

Swiss Cheese will always have holes no matter how much you try and patch it.

Score: 0

|

What if I just eat it?

mmmmm swiss.
mmmmm cheese.

Score: 0

|

Then GCoder will hunt you down and destroy you. "Swiss Cheese" is their motto.

I sometimes wonder if they keep a single post in a text file somewhere and just paste it in whenever one of these stories pops up.

Score: 0

|

Actually, most companies do have a template of some sort for handling outages, technical problems, etc.

Score: 0

|

Huh? By "they", I meant GCoder, I prefer "they" over "(s)he".

Score: 0

|

oh lol...

I thought it was sort of a random change of subject. Sorry. =p

Score: 0

|

Hmm... pretty stealthy of it... once it infects the computer it replaces the bad PPT file with a good one so that it opens and the user is none the wiser...

Score: 0

|

Silverlight 3 goes live on Microsoft's servers

Microsoft's answer to Adobe's Flash is (unofficially) here, with prospects of higher-speed, higher-resolution video and for the first time, 3D.

Three Android phones on the way from T-Mobile in 2009

T-Mobile's myTouch 3G, launched Wednesday, will be followed by two more Android phones later this year, but neither of them will be HTC's Hero.

Best Buy-brand TVs to get TiVo

A new alliance will place the retailer's own brand alongide the manufacturers, and could also lead to future partnerships on services.

LTE still lacks a voice

The 4G Wireless standard that Verizon hopes to show off before this year is out is still at a loss for (spoken) words.

Data sharing among online advertisers: Is sanity in sight?

Lockdown with Angela Gunn In the middle of a 15-page plea not to get regulated, a spark of smart thinking.

T-Mobile's strategy to combat Apple's iPhone with Android

With a trio of Android phones now in the pipeline for 2009, T-Mobile hopes to break the iPhone's emerging stranglehold.

EC's Reding: Government should act as broker for media downloads

If Internet media services don't step up and build an attractive way for users to start paying for downloads, a commissioner says, government may do the job instead.

Sony TVs get Netflix, still no PS3

Though it's coming in behind LG, Samsung, and Microsoft, Sony will begin to offer Netflix streaming, too.

Google Chrome OS: Too little, too early

Carmi Levy: Wide Angle Zoom Don't start the revolution just yet, says Carmi, who isn't so certain Chrome OS will be the "Windows Killer."

GAO pen test brings the hammer down on federal rent-a-cops

But are the computers to blame for the contract-guard fiasco at FPS?

What's Next: Chrome OS will have at least some friends in high places

Also: South Korea takes another round of DDoS abuse, and Neelie Kroes and Steve Ballmer may shake hands before she exits stage left.

Report: Evidence of further creativity with Windows 7 upgrade prices

A ZDNet blogger did some serious digging for clues as to a reported price break on multiple Windows 7 Home Premium licenses, and may have found it.