Introduction

‘Microsoft Word’ is a powerful word-processing software that offers many features, one of them called ‘Macro.’
Macro can automate repetitive tasks and streamline user’s work by recording actions and then playing them back whenever needed. Users can create small programs or scripts within Word to perform specific tasks or actions.

This article will demonstrate the potential threats of using the macro feature and explore the dangers of using macros and the risks associated with their use.

Microsoft Word Software

Microsoft Word is one of the components of the Microsoft Office Suite.
The software’s first version inception was in 1983. Word software is known for document creation and word processing, and it has evolved into an indispensable tool for businesses.
 As a word processor, Microsoft Word empowers users to craft many professional documents, including letters, reports, etc.
 Its user-friendly interface, extensive formatting options, and robust feature set have made it an essential tool for organizations worldwide.

Macro

Microsoft Word provides a ‘Macro’ tool that records actions that can be automatically played back to perform a task. Users can create a macro instead of repeating the same steps manually. A macro can be simple, like formatting text, or complex, involving multiple steps and conditions. With a macro, users can save time and effort by automating repetitive tasks.

Why Should Organizations Use Macro?

Using macro can offer several benefits, including:

1. Automation of repetitive tasks, saving time and effort.
2. Ensuring consistent task performance and reducing the chance of errors.
3. Speeding up document creation and editing and helping users to create professional documentation.
4. Users can create custom macros tailored to their specific needs.
5. Handling complex tasks that would otherwise take considerable time to perform manually.

The Dangers of the Usage of Macro

A macro in Word can execute code, making it a potential tool for malicious activities. Therefore, Word has implemented stringent security measures to control its execution. By default, macros are disabled, and it is imperative that we either manually enable them or trust documents only from reliable sources before allowing their execution.

How Does Malicious Macro-Word Work

Opening a document is all it takes to execute a Macro-based malware.
 These malware initially embed themselves in one or a few documents.
 Although not all antivirus software can detect these malware, some reliable products can detect them effectively.

Malicious macro-word can be potentially malicious because attackers can exploit the macro’s functionality to deliver and execute malicious code on a victim’s system.
 There are a few examples of how macro-word can be an advantage to attackers:

1. An attacker can begin his attack on a victim with social engineering, like the macro-word technique. An attacker can send to his specific victim a Word document that looks legitimate through email, and when the victim clicks the document and enables the macro code, the macro code will be executed behind the scenes.
2. The malicious macro code is injected within a Word document. A victim might think that the document is harmless and legitimate. For example, it can be titled ‘resume’ or ‘article,’ etc.
3. While the malicious code was injected into the Word document when the victim clicks on the document and runs the malicious code, the code can perform various malicious actions, including Downloading malware, Keylogging, Backdoor, Botnet, etc.

Proof-of-Concept

In this PoC demonstration, an attacker will inject the macro into a legitimate Word document using the ‘Unicorn’ tool.
‘Magic Unicorn’ is a simple tool for using a PowerShell downgrade attack and injecting shellcode straight into memory.

An attacker needs to clone the GitHub repository to the Kali Linux machine and execute the following command in the terminal: