Harmful code takes advantage of a security gap in Microsoft PowerPoint

Fri, 21 July 2006

Avira protects MS Office against attacks with a current update

Tettnang, 21 July 2006 – Avira (formerly H+BEDV) protects users with its current update against harmful code that can be infiltrated in PCs through a shortly discovered security gap in Microsoft PowerPoint . In the meanwhile there exist several manipulated PowerPoint files. The virus, which is known as HEUR/PPT.Dropper and HEUR/Office.Dropper, is extremely malicious, as it is able to activate himself by simply opening infected presentations. The exploits don’t have their own spreading routines but are systematically sent to businesses in order to spy out data. As Office documents are often exchanged between companies, a fast spreading of the harmful PowerPoint presentation via email is expected.

Several antivirus producers don’t provide comprehensive protection because they merely draw on a checksum of the detected documents for the virus check in their current version – as soon as only one bit is changed in the harmful PowerPoint document, diverse scanners don’t recognize the harmful program anymore. Avira’s update of the AntiVir engine provides a generic detection of the most recent variants of the appeared harmful code for Microsoft PowerPoint (Microsoft Security Advisory (922970)). In this way, protection is not limited to particularly manipulated PowerPoint files, but its variants are detected too. Avira AntiVir customers who are not using an automatic updating process can download the update straight away at www.avira.com.

Gernot Hacker, security expert of Avira, recommends users only to open PowerPoint presentations of reliable source, besides making an immediate update of the antivirus software. There furthermore exists the possibility to safely view Office documents with alternative display programs such as the free of charge Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer (http://www.microsoft.com).


About Avira

Avira (formerly H+BEDV) is one of the pioneers in the IT security area. The security specialist has been developing as from 1988 cross-system security solutions for business and private customers under the brand name AntiVir. Some of these customers are leading national and international companies, various educational institutions as well as public entities.

The product portfolio comprises high-performance security solutions for workstations, file servers, web servers and mail servers as well as for PDAs and smartphones. The acquisition of the datapol technologies in 2006 provides Avira with additional leading technological solutions to protect and recover systems. The company doesn’t only have a wide range of products in the Windows environment; it is also one of the technology leaders in the UNIX market. Moreover, the company introduced the first SAP certified security solution for SAP NetWeaver in 2005 on the market.

The Avira AntiVir scanner is awarded the VB 100% on a regular basis. The high competence of the company in the IT security area is also documented through the close collaboration with the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).

The Avira security solutions can be obtained from the numerous Avira resellers, who represent and distribute the products all over Europe and abroad.

Company Contact:
Avira GmbH
Adela Kohl/Gernot Hacker
Lindauer Str. 21
D-88069 Tettnang
Telefon: +49 (0) 7542-500 0
Telefax: +49 (0) 7542-525 10
Email:

Press contact:
Jacklin Montag
LEWIS Global PR
Tel.: +49 (0) 89-17 30 19 19
Email:  

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