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AUSCERT External Security Bulletin Redistribution
ESB-2003.0384 -- Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-013 REVISED
Buffer Overrun in Windows Kernel Message Handling could Lead to Elevated
Privileges (811493)
29 May 2003
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AusCERT Security Bulletin Summary
---------------------------------
Product: kernel
Publisher: Microsoft
Operating System: Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server Edition
Microsoft Windows 2000
Microsoft Windows XP
Impact: Administrator Compromise
Access Required: Existing Account
CVE Names: CAN-2003-0112
Ref: ESB-2003.0294
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Title: Buffer Overrun in Windows Kernel Message Handling could
Lead to Elevated Privileges (811493)
Released: 16 April 2003
Revised: 28 May 2003 (version 2.0)
Software: Microsoft(r) Windows NT(r) 4.0, Windows(r) 2000 and
Windows(r) XP
Impact: Local Elevation of Privilege
Max Risk: Important
Bulletin: MS03-013
Microsoft encourages customers to review the Security Bulletin at:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-013.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/ms03-013.asp
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Reason for Revision:
====================
Microsoft re-issued this bulletin on May 28, 2003 to advise on the
availability of an updated Windows XP Service Pack 1 patch. This
revised patch corrects the performance issues that some customers
experienced with the original Windows XP Service Pack 1 patch.
Microsoft originally issued this bulletin on April 16, 2003.
Subsequent to that date, Microsoft has received reports of
performance problems with the patch from some Windows XP customers.
Microsoft has investigated this issue and confirmed that there can
be performance problems when the patch is applied to Windows XP
Service Pack 1 systems. Microsoft is actively working on a revised
patch for Windows XP Service Pack 1 and will re-issue that patch
when it has been completed and fully tested. The existing Windows
XP SP1 patch does address the security vulnerability discussed in
this security bulletin.
Windows XP Service Pack 1 customers are encouraged to review this
security bulletin - and in particular the Severity Rating matrix
and assessment below - to assess whether their particular
environments demand that the patch should be applied immediately or
whether their particular level of risk permits delaying deployment
of the patch until it is revised and the performance problem
corrected. If your environment demands that the patch is installed
before it is revised and the performance problem corrected, it is
recommended that you test thoroughly to ascertain if your
particular environment is affected by the performance issue.
Microsoft has published a Knowledge Base article, 819634, that
describes the known circumstances that can cause the performance
problems to manifest themselves, and what affected users can do to
reduce the impact of the problem. The Windows kernel is the core of
the operating system. It provides system level services such as
device and memory management, allocates processor time to processes
and manages error handling.
Issue:
======
There is a flaw in the way the kernel passes error messages to a
debugger. A vulnerability results because an attacker could write a
program to exploit this flaw and run code of their choice. An
attacker could exploit this vulnerability to take any action on the
system including deleting data, adding accounts with administrative
access, or reconfiguring the system.
For an attack to be successful, an attacker would need to be able
to logon interactively to the system, either at the console or
through a terminal session. Also, a successful attack would require
the introduction of code in order to exploit this vulnerability.
Because best practices recommends restricting the ability to logon
interactively on servers, this issue most directly affects client
systems and terminal servers.
Mitigating Factors:
====================
- - -A successful attack requires the ability to logon interactively to
the target machine, either directly at the console or through a
terminal session.
- - -Properly secured servers would be at little risk from this
vulnerability. Standard best practices recommend only allowing
trusted administrators to log onto such systems interactively;
without such privileges, an attacker could not exploit the
vulnerability.
Risk Rating:
============
- Important
Patch Availability:
===================
- A patch is available to fix this vulnerability. Please read the
Security Bulletins at
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms03-013.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/ms03-013.asp
for information on obtaining this patch.
Acknowledgment:
===============
- Oded Horovitz of Entercept(tm) Security Technologies -
http://www.entercept.com/
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THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS
PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS
ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES
OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO
EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR
ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF
MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION
OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES
SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.
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