What is removed by "Remove Embedded Object" setting (DeepCDR) on Microsoft Office files?

Source - OPSWAT ticket 361587

https://my.opswat.com/portal/support/361587

The lists for Word, Excel and PowerPoint are similar, with a few differences. The other Office types behave differently. Below are the details:

For Microsoft Word (DOCX, DOCM, DOTX, DOTM, DOC, DOT, XML-DOCX), I listed them in the previous comment.

For Microsoft Excel (XLSX, XLSB, XLSM, XLTX, XLTM, XLAM, XLS, XLT, XML-XLS):

• Embedded OLE objects and embedded documents, including OLE charts. Native Excel charts are not affected.

• XLSX family: linked OLE objects and other external links to content.

• ActiveX controls.

• Printer-settings binary data. In the XLSX family, also custom-property binary data and any file in the package that the workbook does not reference.

• XLS/XLT only: hidden worksheets, the ActiveX control stream, plus unused styles when "Cleanup Unused Resources" is on.

• The "Allowlist Pattern" sub-option (XLSX family) only exempts the binary data and unreferenced files above. It does not exempt OLE objects, embedded documents or ActiveX controls.

• DDE and external data connections are handled by "Remove External Content", not by this setting.

For Microsoft PowerPoint (PPTX, PPTM, PPSX, PPSM, POTX, POTM, SLDX, SLDM, PPT, PPS, POT, XML-PPTX):

• Embedded OLE objects and embedded documents. Their content is emptied; the object frame and preview image stay.

• PPTX family: linked OLE objects and other external links to content, linked or online videos, SOAP/WSDL references in document properties, printer-settings and custom-property binary data, and any file in the package that the presentation does not reference.

• ActiveX controls.

• Charts are removed only if "Remove Chart" is on.

• Embedded audio and video clips are not removed by this setting on its own.

• PPAM add-ins are not affected by this setting.

For Microsoft OneNote (ONE):

• All file attachments, whatever their type. Attachments are never sanitized and kept.

For RTF:

• Embedded objects that are not sanitized: the object data is removed and the preview picture kept (the whole object is removed if it has no preview).

• Linked objects, publish/subscribe objects, ActiveX and HTML objects are always removed.

• Data store, DDE fields, raw binary data outside pictures, and malformed list or drawing structures.

For Microsoft Visio:

• VSDX, VSSX, VSTX, VSDM, VSSM, VSTM: all embedded objects and ActiveX controls are removed, whatever their type. These formats are not recursively sanitized.

• VDX, VSX, VTX: embedded OLE objects are sanitized and kept; linked objects, ink, and objects that cannot be sanitized are removed.

• Legacy VSD files are not supported for Visio-to-Visio

For Microsoft Project (MPP):

• All embedded OLE objects. These are never sanitized and kept.