Is it a BAD idea to enable "Trust access to the VBA project object model"

[welchs101]

In order to run one of my macros i need to enable the

"Trust access to the VBA project object model"

My question is it a bad idea to do this? My macro will be used by 10 or so people and they too would have to enable the "trust access.....".

Is this a bad idea? Am i just asking for trouble?

My initial thought is this is ok to do.........

any thoughts?

[StevenM]

Place your Macro-Enabled Workbook in a folder which you can designate as macro friendly.

Then open the workbook. Click on the Office Button -> Excel Options -> Trust Center -> Trust Center Setting -> Trusted Locations. Then you add your folder (where you have your Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook) as a trusted location.

Close & re-open your workbook.

Those who use your macro should go through the same steps.

[Cutter]

Isn't this a duplicate of this: http://www.excelforum.com/excel-prog...n-machine.html

[welchs101]

hi Cutter, it is defintely not a duplicate. Both threads are asking two different questions.

this thread is asking if its a bad idea to enable "Trust access to the VBA project object model".

The other thread is asking "how to identify" if the "Trusst access to the vba project object model" has been enabled.

[Andy Pope]

I don't believe Trusted locations has any impact on the Trusted access to VB Project. It more to do with the acceptance/notification of macro content.

As to whether granting access is a bad idea it really depends on what your code is doing that requires granting access. You need to provide more information.

[welchs101]

Well, i appreciate the info on the trusted locations. I think you kinda know why i am trying to do this whole thing and that is why you made the suggestion..........it basically comes back to "making sure the user" enables macros when they open some of my files.


Anyway, back to the thread.


My macro is not doing anything specific that would cause a problem. The reason for the question is if you read what enabling this does

Trust access to the VBA project object model:
This setting is for developers and is used to deliberately lock out or allow programmatic access to the VBA object model from any Automation client. In other words, it provides a security option for code that is written to automate an Office program and programmatically manipulate the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) environment and object model. This is a per user and per application setting, and denies access by default. This security option makes it more difficult for unauthorized programs to build "self-replicating" code that can harm end-user systems. For any Automation client to be able to access the VBA object model programmatically, the user running the code must explicitly grant access. To turn on access, select the check box.




After reading this you come away with the idea that one should probably not enable this option.

But my feeling is that enabling this option is really not going to lead to any "issues or potential security" risks. I mean you already have to manually enable/disable a macro to run........enabling the trust access to the project object does not mean you bypass the enable/diable macro question.

I just wanted to ask this question to a group who are way more knowledgable than myself.......my gut says its ok to do.

Just wanted to get some ideas from others.

[Andy Pope]

Enabling that option allows code to read/write code into unlocked vba projects. Does your vba code need this functionality?

[welchs101]

yes mine does need it.

the concern from my manager after they read the post i gave before is that somehow by enabling the trust access option either on my computer and/or on someone elses that it somehow makes the computer more susceptible to viruses and such.

[Andy Pope]

Not really. Enabling macros is the crucial thing. Once you do that you have the potential to run malicious code.
Enabling VBE access means the type of thing the malicious code can do changes.

[ChkMateSavvy]

My question that seems to follow along with this thread... even though it is 2.5 years old.

Some background.....

Due to some "Panicky Petes" outside of my particular organization, they are completely disabling macros as we are being migrated to Office 2013. (It took months to get the data analysis add-in in Excel, fully functional for me.) I have been working with the network folks for several months to trying to get them to realize that they are going to kill YEARS worth of productivity due to the multitude of Excel tools and models that have been built for use within our organization and rely heavily on macros.

They are allowing exceptions for folks, but since I am one of the guinea pigs for this whole thing, I'm trying to help get my co-workers ahead of the curve for this nightmare and make sure that things actually work. The solution so far, is to only allow digitally signed macros. This means that all current files will eventually need updating to have someone digitally sign the code... PITA but doable.

Unfortunately, I still can't run digitally signed macros. there was a point during the testing yesterday that I could copy and past the code into the Personal.XLSB module folder and it would work.... but that is going to be a gigantic pain the in gooch. Will checking this option allow the code to just run in the file it is embedded in?

macro_setting.jpg

[romperstomper]

No, it's completely unrelated. That option allows code access to the methods/properties of the VBProject of a workbook, that's all.