Patch Available for "SQL Server 7.0 Service Pack Password" Vulnerability

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===========================================================================
             AUSCERT External Security Bulletin Redistribution

    ESB-2001.201 -- Microsoft Security Bulletin MS00-035 (version 2.0)
 Patch Available for "SQL Server 7.0 Service Pack Password" Vulnerability
                                15 May 2001

===========================================================================

        AusCERT Security Bulletin Summary
        ---------------------------------

Product:                Microsoft SQL Server 7.0
Vendor:                 Microsoft
Impact:                 Administrator Compromise
Access Required:        Existing Account

Ref:                    ESB-2000.112

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Title:      Patch Available for "SQL Server 7.0 Service Pack 
            Password" Vulnerability 
Released:   15 June 2000
Revised:    10 May 2001 (version 2.0)
Software:   SQL Server 7.0
Impact:     Information disclosure
Bulletin:   MS00-035

Microsoft encourages customers to review the Security Bulletin at: 
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS00-035.asp.
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Reason for Revision:
====================
Bulletin was revised to reflect a patch available for SQL Server 7.0 
Service Pack 3 and a password removal tool available via KB 
article Q263968.

Issue:
======
When SQL Server 7.0 Service Packs 1, 2, or 3 are installed on a
machine 
that is configured to perform authentication using Mixed Mode, the 
password for the SQL Server standard security System Administrator
(sa) 
account is recorded in plaintext in the files %TEMP%sqlsp.log and 
%WINNT%setup.iss. The default permissions on the files would allow
any 
user to read them who could log onto the server interactively.
 
The password is only recorded if Mixed Mode is used, and even then, 
only if the adminstrator chose to use SQL Server Authentication when 
installing the service pack. Microsoft has long recommended that SQL 
servers be configured to use the more secure Windows NT
Authentication 
Mode, and customers who have followed this recommendation would not
be 
affected. Even on affected machines, the password could not be 
compromised if, per normal security recommendations, normal users are
prevented from logging onto the machine interactively.

Mitigating Factors:
====================
 - It does not occur when the recommended authentication method, 
   Windows NT Authentication, is used. 
 - Even when Mixed Mode is used, it only occurs if a particular type
of 
   authentication, SQL Server Authentication, is used. 
 - By default, the files containing the password could only be read
by 
   a user who could interactively log onto the server. Standard
security 
   recommendations strongly militate against allowing normal users to
   interactively log onto security critical servers such as database 
   servers. 

Patch Availability:
===================
 - A patch is available to fix this vulnerability. Please read the 
   Security Bulletin
   http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms00-035.asp
   for information on obtaining this patch.

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