Microsoft has pulled a security patch for the Windows NT
4.0 because installing it can cause the operating system to
crash.
The patch, released on 11 December, is to fix a privilege
elevation vulnerability deemed "important" by Microsoft.
A malicious user could gain administrative privileges on a
system by exploiting a flaw in the WM_TIMER Windows function,
Microsoft said in security bulletin
MS02-071
However, some system administrators were confronted with random
crashes and reboots on their NT 4.0 systems after installing the
patch. The problem was solved by removing the patch, according to
postings in online discussion groups.
One user complained of trouble using Windows NT 4.0 Terminal
Server. When a user was signed off using Terminal Server
Administrator, their processes showed as still running. This was
also resolved by removing the security patch.
Microsoft is investigating the issue and will release an updated
patch shortly, the company said in a revised version of its
security bulletin.
There are no problems with the patches for Windows 2000 and
Windows XP, also affected by the vulnerability detailed in the
bulletin.