[ISN] Security UPDATE--Windows XP SP2 Help--August 18, 2004

Thu Aug 19 12:00:26 EDT 2004

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

1. In Focus: Windows XP SP2 Help

2. Security News and Features
   - Recent Security Vulnerabilities
   - News: Microsoft Issues August Security Fixes
   - Feature: Cleaning Up After Classified Email

3. Security Matters Blog
   - How to Temporarily Disable Installation of Windows XP SP2
   - It Had to Happen Sooner or Later, Part 2
   - What Are You Exposing in Your Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Files?

4. Security Toolkit
   - FAQ

5. New and Improved
   - Updated Patch Management Solution
   - Secure Your Compressed Attachments

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==== 1. In Focus: Windows XP SP2 Help ====
   by Mark Joseph Edwards, News Editor, mark at ntsecurity dot net

Certainly you know by now that Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) has
been released. As anticipated, some systems have had problems after
installation of the new service pack. But many people report that
their installations have been successful and without incident.

Some of you might want to wait until later to install SP2. If you use
Microsoft Software Update Services (SUS) or Automatic Updates, you'll
probably need to disable SP2 installation until you're ready for it.
Microsoft has released two tools to help: "Toolkit to Temporarily
Block Delivery of Windows XP SP2 to a PC Through Automatic Updates and
Windows" (at the first URL below) and "Executable to Un-block Delivery
of Windows XP SP2 to a PC Through Automatic Updates and Windows
Update" (at the second URL below).
   http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=8bce6bba-ea5d-4425-89c1-c1cb1ccd463c&displaylang=en
   http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=b2300c7b-f3d7-48d6-b86c-1256c0321727&displaylang=en

If you want to slipstream SP2 into your XP installation packages,
Adrian Earnshaw posted a link in the NTBugtraq mailing list (at the
first URL below) that points to an article on the Windows-Help.NET Web
site that describes step-by-step how to create a slipstream package
(at the second URL below).
   http://www.ntbugtraq.com
   http://www.windows-help.net/windowsxp/winxp-sp2-bootcd.html

Some people might have difficulty with Microsoft Systems Management
Server (SMS) after installing SP2. Rod Trent posted a link in the
PatchManagement.org mailing list (at the first URL below) that points
to an FAQ on the myITforum.com Web site. The FAQ (at the second URL
below) tells how to correct certain problems with SP2 and SMS that
might relate to Distributed COM (DCOM) and access through port 135.
   http://www.patchmanagement.org
   http://myitforum.techtarget.com/articles/1/view.asp?id=7648

If you're looking for information and tools from Microsoft related to
SP2, try the search engine at the Microsoft Download Center. If you
select Windows XP as the Product/Technology and enter the keywords
"Service Pack 2," you'll find lots of articles, tools, and reference
material to help you.
   http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.aspx?displaylang=en

The Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) also has a Web page--the
Microsoft Security Developer Center--that lists lots of security
resources for developers, including a course, "Windows XP Service Pack
2 Training for Developers," which provides "awareness of the
implications in the deployment of Service Pack 2 on computers running
on the Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home Editions and how
the application developer will be affected by them."
   http://msdn.microsoft.com/security/productinfo/xpsp2/default.aspx

At Microsoft's support site, you'll find a Web page that contains lots
of links to a few known issues, as well as troubleshooting,
step-by-step help, and more. You'll also find a link to an upcoming
Webcast, "Understanding Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2," which is
scheduled for August 19, 10:00 A.M. Pacific Time.
   http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=windowsxpsp2it

One more resource you might find helpful is the "Windows XP Service
Pack 2 Experiences" Web forum hosted by the SANS Institute's Internet
Storm Center. The forum has classified posts according to the poster's
experience with SP2--that is, whether he or she had "no problems,"
"small problems," "big problems, but solvable," "big problems, could
not use/install," "had to rebuild system," or "no opinion." If you're
having trouble with SP2, you might read the forum's posts or use its
search engine to see whether anyone had similar trouble and found a
solution.
   http://isc.sans.org/xpsp2.php

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

==== 2. Security News and Features ====

Recent Security Vulnerabilities
   If you subscribe to this newsletter, you also receive Security
Alerts, which inform you about recently discovered security
vulnerabilities. You can also find information about these discoveries
at
   http://www.winnetmag.com/departments/departmentid/752/752.html

News: Microsoft Issues August Security Fixes
   Microsoft issued just one new fix in its August collection of
security bulletins. The fix is a security bulletin that has a moderate
severity rating and affects Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5. One fix is
a far cry from July's monthly updates, which included eight bulletins.
Two weeks ago, however, Microsoft released a set of Microsoft Internet
Explorer (IE) fixes out of sync with its monthly security updates; the
fixes patched IE flaws that were discovered in June.
   http://www.winnetmag.com/article/articleid/43602/43602.html

Feature: Cleaning Up After Classified Email
   Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), the birthplace of the atomic
bomb and one of the most secretive places in the United States, has
had several security breaches, including the sending of classified
messages over the lab's unclassified email system. LANL's problems got
Paul Robichaux thinking about the technical challenges of "cleaning"
an ordinary email system through which someone has sent confidential
or sensitive information. It's no easy task. Read what he has to say
in this article on our Web site.
   http://www.winnetmag.com/article/articleid/43393/43393.html

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==== 3. Security Matters Blog ====
   by Mark Joseph Edwards, http://www.winnetmag.com/securitymatters

Check out these recent entries in the Security Matters blog:

How to Temporarily Disable Installation of Windows XP SP2
   Microsoft offers a few ways to postpone Windows XP Service Pack 2
(SP2) installation for those who use Windows Update and Automatic
Updates.

It Had to Happen Sooner or Later, Part 2
   Somebody has released a malicious Windows CE worm that inserts a
back door into the OS.

What Are You Exposing in Your Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Files?
   Microsoft recently released an update to its Remove Hidden Data
tool (rhdtool.exe) that cleans hidden and collaboration data out of
Office 2003 and Office XP files.

==== 4. Security Toolkit ====

FAQ: I have an internal firewall between sections of my network. What
ports must I open to allow user and computer account authentication?
   by John Savill, http://www.winnetmag.com/windowsnt20002003faq

A. Basic authentication on a network consists of several steps. First,
the client locates a domain controller (DC), which requires DNS
connectivity--UDP and TCP ports 53. Next, the client performs a
connectivity test by using a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
(LDAP) Ping--UDP port 389. Then, the client uses Kerberos (UDP and TCP
ports 88) and Server Message Block (SMB--UDP and TCP ports 445) to
complete the authentication to the DC. Therefore, you must enable all
these ports.

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