Microsoft has released a software patch for what it calls a
"critical" security vulnerability affecting most versions of its
Windows operating systems and certain versions of the Internet
Explorer (IE) Web browser.
The flaw affects the Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC), which
provide database access for Windows platforms, according to a
statement from Foundstone, a software vulnerability management
company that discovered the flaw.
Microsoft said certain versions of Windows NT, Windows 2000 and
Windows Me are vulnerable, with other versions of its operating
system potentially at risk. Windows XP users are unaffected and
need take no action.
The company deemed the vulnerability "critical" by Microsoft, the
highest possible rating under the company's new rating system,
which was announced on 19 November.
The company defines critical vulnerabilities as those "whose
exploitation could allow the propagation of an Internet worm such
as Code Red or Nimda without user action."
The hole is particularly menacing because of the large number of
systems that are vulnerable and because of the ease with which
existing worms such as Code Red or Nimda could be modified to take
advantage of the newly disclosed flaw, said Stuart McClure,
Foundstone's president and chief technical officer.
"What makes it really quite dangerous is that it can be easily
added to a worm," McClure said.
"It's very much in line with Code Red and Nimda because of the
attack vectors and the ways that it attacks. But with this
vulnerability both the server and client component can be attacked,
as opposed to Code Red and Nimda, which basically exploited
server-based vulnerabilities and didn't take advantage of a
browser-based vulnerability like this," he said.
Foundstone discovered the vulnerability in August and disclosed the
information to Microsoft at that time, McClure said.
The vulnerability affects code that is installed and implemented by
default in Windows 2000, and within the Windows NT 4.0 option pack.
Machines running Internet Explorer versions 5.01, 5.5 and 6.0 are
also affected by the new vulnerability.
Microsoft's security bulletin MS02-065, is at
www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/security/bulletin/MS02-065.asp
The patch is at
www.microsoft.com/downloads/Release.asp?ReleaseID=44733