Skip to main content

Hackers can now sneak malware into the GIFs you share

How low will malware go to get onto your device? We thought using Minecraft to gain access to your computer was the most nefarious method hackers have produced, but there’s a new, even lower type of attack that uses Microsoft Teams and GIFs to mount phishing attacks on your computer.

The new attack is called GIFShell and it installs malware on your computer to steal data. It does so by sneaking itself into innocent-looking GIFs and then waiting for you to share the GIF with your colleagues via Microsoft Teams.

A video call in progress on Microsoft Teams.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The problem was discovered by cybersecurity expert Bobby Rauch, who shared his findings exclusively with Bleeping Computers. This new GIF attack exploits multiple vulnerabilities in Microsoft Teams to create a chain of command executions.

Recommended Videos

The only thing the attackers need is a way to get into Microsoft Teams in the first place, and they have settled on one of everyone’s favorite web items: GIFs. The attacks include malicious code in base64 encoded GIFs. They then use Microsoft’s own web infrastructure to unpack the commands and install them directly on your computer.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Microsoft Teams is fairly secure and has multiple levels of protection against malicious file sharing. However, GIFs are usually benign, and people love sharing them. They’re the perfect conduit for attacks.

The files can spoof your computer into opening Windows programs such as Excel. It can then send data back to its originator by tricking Windows into connecting to a remote server.

Rauch disclosed his findings to Microsoft in May 2022, but the company has yet to fix the flaws. Microsoft told Bleeping Computers the GIF attacks “do not meet the bar for an urgent security fix.”

The best thing you can do for now is to not open any GIFs someone may share with you on Teams. We’ll keep an eye on this story and let you know when, and if, Microsoft gets around to fixing the vulnerability.

Nathan Drescher
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Nathan Drescher is a freelance journalist and writer from Ottawa, Canada. He's been writing about technology from around the…
Nearly six months later, you can finally try out Windows 11 Recall
Recall promotional image.

After a tumultuous initial reaction and months of reworking, Microsoft is finally releasing the first preview of its controversial Recall feature today. If you're a Windows Insider with a Qualcomm Copilot+ PC, you can install a new build of Windows 11 that includes both Recall and Click to Do.

If you're not part of the Windows Insider Program but you want to try out this feature, it's pretty easy to sign up on the Microsoft website. Recall was first announced back before any of the Copilot+ PCs were released and was meant to be available at launch, but an outcry of privacy and security concerns forced Microsoft to delay it.

Read more
If you use one of these passwords, hackers will love you
Username and password on a tablet screen.

You would think that at this point, people would be using stronger passwords. Sorry to disappoint you, but according to NordPass' annual list of the world's most popular passwords, the unoriginal choices are a letdown.

123456 is the back-to-back champ for the most common and easiest password. But on the bright side, at least "password" doesn't have the No. 1 spot like it did in the past. The remaining top spots go to passwords such as:

Read more
You can now generate AI videos right in Premiere Pro
An example of the Firefly video generator

Firefly can now generate videos from image and text prompts, as well as extend existing clips, Adobe announced on Monday. The new feature is currently rolling out to Premiere Pro subscribers.

The video generation feature makes its debut in a number of new tools for Premiere Pro and the Firefly web app. PP's Generative Extend, for example, can tack on up to two seconds of added AI footage to either the beginning or ending of a clip, as well as make mid-shot adjustments to the camera position, tracking, and even the shot subjects themselves.

Read more