Careful with PowerPoint

There is at least reason to be careful opening that curious PowerPoint file attached to your email. Microsoft warns users that there’s a vulnerability in PowerPoint, and it could allow Remote Code Execution, the official term for attackers having their way with your PC. The warning can be read here.

In the interest of fairness, some of the language Microsoft uses for the warning has caused considerable controversy before. The current one’s third paragraph reads,

Microsoft is concerned that new reports of a vulnerability in PowerPoint were not disclosed responsibly, potentially putting computer users at risk. We continue to encourage responsible disclosure of vulnerabilities.

This kind of language, appearing in a host of Microsoft warnings, have been interpreted by some as irresponsibly hostile to security researchers, and tangential to the issue of producing solid code.

I leave it up to you to decide, but they make for interesting reads here and here.

Jeffrey Pe Benito
Writer
FBM Software