Using cracked software is also a serious legal offense. Microsoft Office is protected by copyright law, and circumventing licensing restrictions is a form of piracy. The consequences of using cracked software can include:
: Attackers are tricking users into opening malicious documents that exploit the outdated Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) features in this version. Operational & Legal Risks Using cracked software is also a serious legal offense
: Official support for consumer versions of Office 2016 ended on October 14, 2025 . Using cracked software is also a serious legal offense