After the launch of Office 2024 in October, Microsoft will disable ActiveX controls in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Visio client applications by default.

ActiveX is a legacy software platform introduced in 1996 that allows developers to create interactive objects that can be embedded in Office documents. Microsoft will start by disabling ActiveX controls in documents opened in Win32 Office desktop apps in October 2024. A similar change will be implemented in Microsoft 365 apps in April 2025.

"Starting with the new Office 2024, the default configuration setting for ActiveX objects will change from 'Prompt before enabling all controls with minimal restrictions' to 'Disable all controls without notification,'" the company announced. As Microsoft explained, "users will no longer be able to create or interact with ActiveX objects in Office documents when this change is implemented."

Some existing ActiveX objects will continue to appear as static images in Office documents.

In non-commercial versions of Office, users will receive notifications that say "The new default setting is equivalent to the existing DisableAllActiveX Group Policy setting" when ActiveX objects are locked in the new default configuration.

After the change is implemented, users who need to enable ActiveX controls in Office documents can revert to the previous default settings by using one of the following methods:

In the Trust Center Settings dialog box, under ActiveX Settings, by selecting the Prompt before enabling all minimally restricted controls option.
Setting the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Common\Security\DisableAllActiveX setting in the registry to 0 (REG_DWORD).
setting the Disable All ActiveX Group Policy option to 0.
This change was likely caused by known ActiveX security issues, such as zero-day vulnerabilities used by North Korean hackers Andariel to deploy malware and steal information.

The attackers also used ActiveX controls built into Word documents to install the TrickBot malware and Cobalt Strike beacons to infiltrate corporate networks.

Microsoft is preparing to release Office 2024 without a subscription. The new perpetual product will be available on Windows and Mac for individuals at the same prices as the Office 2021 version. For enterprise customers, the cost of Office 2024 licenses will increase by 10% compared to Office 2021 due to the need to "support continued innovation in this niche."

In May, Microsoft announced that it was ending support for the VBScript scripting language. In the second half of 2024, the company will begin to gradually turn it off. Instead of VBScript, Microsoft representatives recommend using PowerShell or JavaScript automation tools.