From secnotif@MICROSOFT.COM Fri Dec 10 00:13:52 1999 From: Microsoft Product Security Resent-From: mea culpa To: MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM Resent-To: jericho@attrition.org Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1999 14:55:50 -0800 Subject: Microsoft Security Bulletin (MS99-055) The following is a Security Bulletin from the Microsoft Product Security Notification Service. Please do not reply to this message, as it was sent from an unattended mailbox. ******************************** Microsoft Security Bulletin (MS99-055) -------------------------------------- Patch Available for "Malformed Resource Enumeration Argument" Vulnerability Originally Posted: December 09, 1999 Summary ======= Microsoft has released a patch that eliminates a security vulnerability in Microsoft(r) Windows NT(r). The vulnerability could cause a Windows NT machine to stop responding to requests for services. Frequently asked questions regarding this vulnerability can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/security/bulletins/MS99-055faq.asp. Issue ===== When a specific type of malformed argument is supplied to a resource enumeration request, the Windows NT Service Control Manager can fail. The primary effect of the failure is to cause named pipes to fail, which prevents many other system services from operating. The failure would not cause the machine to crash, and as a result it might not be obvious to the operator that the machine was no longer in service. An affected computer can be put back into service by rebooting. The resource enumeration request involved in the vulnerability must be made via IPC, so customers can protect against remote attacks by blocking NetBios requests at the firewall. Networks that allow anonymous logons can prevent attacks by disabling the ability for null sessions to submit enumeration requests; this can be done using the RestictAnonymous registry key. Both of these measures are good security practices in any case. Affected Software Versions ========================== - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 - Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 - Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Enterprise Edition - Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition Patch Availability ================== Windows NT Workstation, Windows NT Server, and Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition: - x86: http://www.microsoft.com/Downloads/Release.asp?ReleaseID=16382 - alpha: http://www.microsoft.com/Downloads/Release.asp?ReleaseID=16383 Windows NT Server, Terminal Server Edition: - To be released shortly NOTE: This and other patches are available from the Microsoft Download Center (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.asp? Search=Keyword&Value='security_patch'&OpSysID=1) More Information ================ Please see the following references for more information related to this issue. - Microsoft Security Bulletin MS99-055: Frequently Asked Questions, http://www.microsoft.com/security/bulletins/MS99-055faq.asp. - Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) article Q246045, Malformed Resource Enumeration Arguments May Cause Named Pipes and Other System Services to Fail, http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q246/0/45.asp. (Note: It may take 24 hours from the original posting of this bulletin for this KB article to be visible.) - Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) article Q143474, Restricting Information Available to Anonymous Users, http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q143/4/74.asp. - Microsoft Security Advisor web site, http://www.microsoft.com/security/default.asp. Obtaining Support on this Issue =============================== This is a fully supported patch. Information on contacting Microsoft Technical Support is available at http://support.microsoft.com/support/contact/default.asp. Acknowledgments =============== Microsoft acknowledges .Rain.Forest.Puppy for bringing this issue to our attention. Revisions ========= - December 09, 1999: Bulletin Created. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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. (c) 1999 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use ******************************************************************* You have received this e-mail bulletin as a result of your registration to the Microsoft Product Security Notification Service. You may unsubscribe from this e-mail notification service at any time by sending an e-mail to MICROSOFT_SECURITY-SIGNOFF-REQUEST@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM The subject line and message body are not used in processing the request, and can be anything you like. For more information on the Microsoft Security Notification Service please visit http://www.microsoft.com/security/services/bulletin.asp. For security-related information about Microsoft products, please visit the Microsoft Security Advisor web site at http://www.microsoft.com/security.