Avarta virus infects Microsoft Publisher (*pub) documents. Due to its crude replication method and obvious payload, Avarta has zero chances of getting in the wild. Avarta is proof of concept for something that will never become a threat. Three or four years ago, this might have been an innovative piece of malware. But now macroviruses are virtually extinct, making Avarta proof-of-concept for something never becomes a threat. You can find a description of Avarta here.”]
Source: https://securelist.com/avarta-an-ms-publisher-virus/30159/