Zero-day PowerPoint Exploit On The Loose

A new flaw has been discovered in PowerPoint that could allow intruders to execute remote code if  a user opens an affected PowerPoint file. An exploit is circulating that includes a Trojan which opens a backdoor into the system. Microsoft is aware of the problem however no patch is available at this time.

Microsoft issued an advisory, "Vulnerability in PowerPoint Could Allow Remote Code Execution," where the company stated that it is investigating the zero-day exploit and are currently testing a patch to correct problems which affect PowerPoint 2000, 2002, and 2003. The company hopes to release a security update for PowerPoint as part of its upcoming monthly patch release schedule, the next of which will occur on August 8. 2006.