Mac Users Face Major Hacking Risk Because Of Microsoft Outlook and Word Apps: Should You Be Worried?

Mac users have been warned about a major hacking threat which can expose their device’s camera and microphone. The security risk has been caused by Microsoft apps like Office and Teams running on macOS as per the details discovered by security researchers at Cisco Talos.

In fact, the report here says Microsoft apps like Outlook, Excel and even Word are able to bypass the macOS security levels from Apple with a total of eight vulnerabilities becoming a big concern for millions of Mac users.

MacOS Hacking Threat – How The Issue Affects

The security issue allowed hackers to inject malicious files into popular Microsoft apps like Outlook, Teams, Powerpoint, Excel and Word among others. Bypassing Apple’s strong security is generally tough but these 8 vulnerabilities give hackers the power to not only bypass the checks without raising an alarm but also be able to access your MacBook’s mic and camera which is a privacy nightmare whichever way you see it.

The concerns don’t end there with these apps, as the Cisco report claims hackers are even able to record audio by exploiting these flaws. Most people use some or all of these Microsoft apps, and all these Mac users are at the risk of possible hacking by bad actors.

Some Relief But Threat Lingers

Microsoft has been informed about these issues by the Cisco security team and some of them have been patched with the recent update which you should install right away. However, the threat still lingers with six other vulnerabilities yet to be fixed.

The latest versions of Teams and OneNote have been secured but other Microsoft apps like Outlook and Word are still at risk. The cybersecurity division of Cisco claims Microsoft’s unnecessary disabling of library validation has triggered this chain reaction which severely affected macOS users even though Apple has kept its end secure.

Having said that, Cisco feels that Apple might have to protect its users by alerting them of possible third-party plugs accessing their device tools which should go some way in keeping them informed of possible third-party intrusions by bad actors.