MS05-012: Vulnerability in OLE and COM Could Allow Remote Code Execution (873333)

SummaryWho should read this document: Customers who use Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft Office, or other third party applications that use OLE.Impact of Vulnerability: Remote Code ExecutionMaximum Severity Rating: CriticalRecommendation: Customers should apply the update immediatelySecurity Update Replacement: This bulletin replaces several prior security updates. See the frequently asked questions (FAQ) section of this bulletin for the complete list.Caveats: Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 873333 documents the currently known issues that customers may experience when they install this security update. The article also documents recommended solutions for these issues. For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 873333Tested Software and Security Update Download Locations:Affected Software:• Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 and Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 – Download the update• Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 1 and Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 – Download the update• Microsoft Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Service Pack 1 (Itanium) – Download the update• Microsoft Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003 (Itanium) – Download the update• Microsoft Windows Server 2003 – Download the update• Microsoft Windows Server 2003 for Itanium-based Systems– Download the update• Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Service Pack 3 (uses the Windows OLE component)• Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 and Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (uses the Windows OLE component)• Microsoft Exchange Server 5.0 Service Pack 2 (uses the Windows OLE component)• Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack 4 (uses the Windows OLE component)• Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition (SE), and Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (ME) – Review the FAQ section of this bulletin for details about these operating systems.• Microsoft Office XP Service Pack 3 (uses the Windows OLE component)Microsoft Office XP Service Pack 2 (uses the Windows OLE component)Microsoft Office XP Software:• Outlook® 2002• Word 2002• Excel 2002• PowerPoint® 2002• FrontPage® 2002• Publisher 2002• Access 2002• Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 1 (Uses the Windows OLE component)Microsoft Office 2003 (Uses the Windows OLE component)Microsoft Office 2003 Software:• Outlook® 2003• Word 2003• Excel 2003• PowerPoint® 2003• FrontPage® 2003• Publisher 2003• Access 2003• InfoPath™ 2003• OneNote™ 2003Note Any application that uses the Windows OLE component could also be vulnerable to this issue. This list of affected software documents the most likely attack vectors. We recommend customers install this security update immediately. Installing this security update will address this vulnerability in any application that uses the Windows OLE component.The software in this list has been tested to determine whether the versions are affected. Other versions either no longer include security update support or may not be affected. To determine the support life cycle for your product and version, visit the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Web site.Top of sectionTop of sectionGeneral InformationExecutive SummaryExecutive Summary:This update resolves several newly-discovered, privately-reported vulnerabilities. Each vulnerability is documented in this bulletin in its own “Vulnerability Details” section.An attacker who successfully exploited the most severe of these vulnerabilities could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could install then programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.We recommend that customers apply the update immediately.Severity Ratings and Vulnerability Identifiers:Vulnerability Identifiers Impact of Vulnerability Windows 98, 98 SE, ME Windows 2000 Windows XP Windows Server 2003 Exchange Server 5.0 Exchange Server 5.5 Exchange 2000 Server Exchange Server 2003 Other Affected SoftwareCOM Structured Storage Vulnerability - CAN-2005-0047Local Elevation of PrivilegeNoneImportantImportantImportantNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneInput Validation Vulnerability - CAN-2005-0044Remote Code ExecutionNot CriticalImportantImportantImportantCriticalCriticalCriticalCriticalImportantAggregate Severity of All VulnerabilitiesNot CriticalImportantImportantImportantCriticalCriticalCriticalCriticalImportantThis assessment is based on the types of systems that are affected by the vulnerability, their typical deployment patterns, and the effect that exploiting the vulnerability would have on them.Top of sectionTop of sectionFrequently asked questions (FAQ) related to this security updateAre there security updates for affected software such as Exchange Server or Office available?No. The only security updates that are available are operating system security update. Any application that uses the Windows OLE component could be vulnerable to this issue. This list of affected software documents the most likely attack vectors and software applications that are known to use the affected operating system component. We recommend customers install the available operating system update immediately. Installing this operating system security update will address this vulnerability in any application that uses the Windows OLE component. There are no stand-alone security updates required for any application beyond the available operating system security updates.Why does this update address several reported security vulnerabilities?This update contains support for several vulnerabilities because the modifications that are required to address these issues are located in related files. Instead of having to install several updates that are almost the same, customers can install only this update.What updates does this release replace?This security update replaces several prior security updates. The security bulletin IDs and affected operating systems are listed in the following table.Bulletin ID Windows 2000 Windows XP Windows Server 2003MS03-010ReplacedReplacedNot ApplicableMS03-026ReplacedReplacedReplacedMS03-039ReplacedReplacedReplacedDoes this update contain any security-related changes to functionality?Yes. In addition to the changes that are listed in each “Vulnerability Details” sections of this bulletin, this update includes additional security changes that are based on the result of a security review of the affected components.How does the extended support for Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows Millennium Edition affect the release of security updates for these operating systems?Microsoft will only release security updates for critical security issues. Non-critical security issues are not offered during this support period. For more information about the Microsoft Support Lifecycle policies for these operating systems, visit the following Web site.For more information about severity ratings, visit the following Web site.Note Critical security updates for these operating systems may not be available at the same time as the other security updates are included with this security bulletin. They will be made available as soon as possible following the release. When these security updates are available, you will be able to download them only from the Windows Update Web site.Are Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, or Windows Millennium Edition critically affected by one or more of the vulnerabilities that are addressed in this security bulletin?No. None of these vulnerabilities are critical in severity on Windows 98, on Windows 98 Second Edition, or on Windows Millennium Edition. For more information about severity ratings, visit the following Web site.Extended security update support for Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Service Pack 6a and Windows 2000 Service Pack 2 ended on June 30, 2004. Extended security update support for Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Service Pack 6a ended on December 31, 2004. I’m still using one of these operating systems, what should I do?Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Service Pack 6a, Windows NT Server 4.0 Service Pack 6a, and Windows 2000 Service Pack 2 have reached the end of their life cycles. It should be a priority for customers who have these operating system versions to migrate to supported versions to prevent potential exposure to vulnerabilities. For more information about the Windows Product Lifecycle, visit the following Microsoft Support Lifecycle Web site. For more information about the extended security update support period for these operating system versions, visit the Microsoft Product Support Services Web site.Customers who require additional support for Windows NT 4.0 SP6a must contact their Microsoft account team representative, their Technical Account Manager, or the appropriate Microsoft partner representative for custom support options. Customers without an Alliance, Premier, or Authorized Contract can contact their local Microsoft sales office. For contact information, visit the Microsoft Worldwide Information Web site, select the country, and then click Go to see a list of telephone numbers. When you call, ask to speak with the local Premier Support sales manager.For more information, see the Windows Operating System Product Support Lifecycle FAQ.Microsoft Exchange Server 5.0 Service Pack 2 is only supported on Windows NT 4.0. Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack 4 is supported on Windows NT 4.0 and Windows Server 2000. I’m using one of these applications on Windows NT 4.0, what should I do?Windows NT Server 4.0 Service Pack 6a has reached the end of it’s life cycle as documented in the previous FAQ. Exchange Server 5.0 Service Pack 2 and Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack 4 can use the vulnerable operating system component. The only way to update the affected Windows NT Server 4.0 component is through the Windows NT 4.0 custom support agreement program. See the previous FAQ for details on obtaining a custom support agreement.It should be a priority for customers who have this operating system version to migrate to supported configurations to prevent potential exposure to this vulnerability. For customers that do not have a custom support agreement for Windows NT Server 4.0, they should review the “Workarounds” section of this bulletin to help protect their networks and then perform the following steps:• Exchange Server 5.0 Service Pack 2 customers should upgrade to Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack 4. Once the Exchange server is upgraded to Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack 4, the operating system can then be upgraded to Windows 2000 Server. After upgrading to Windows 2000 Server, customers should install the available Windows 2000 Server security update.• Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack 4 customers should make sure that they are using Windows 2000 Server. If you are still using Windows NT Server 4.0 you should upgrade as soon as possible. After upgrading to Windows 2000 Server, customers should install the available Windows 2000 Server security update.I am still using Windows XP, but extended security update support ended on September 30th, 2004. What should I do?The original version of Windows XP, generally known as Windows XP Gold or Windows XP Release to Manufacturing (RTM) version, reached the end of its extended security update support life cycle on September 30, 2004.It should be a priority for customers who have this operating system version to migrate to supported operating system versions to prevent potential exposure to vulnerabilities. For more information about the Windows Service Pack Product Lifecycle, visit the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Web site. For more information about the Windows Product Lifecycle, visit the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Web site.For more information, see the Windows Operating System Product Support Lifecycle FAQ.Can I use the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) to determine whether this update is required?Yes. MBSA will determine whether this update is required. For more information about MBSA, visit the MBSA Web site.Note After April 20, 2004, the Mssecure.xml file that is used by MBSA 1.1.1 and earlier versions is no longer being updated with new security bulletin data. Therefore, scans that are performed after that date by using MBSA 1.1.1 or earlier will be incomplete. All users should upgrade to MBSA 1.2 because it provides more accurate security update detection and supports additional products. Users can download MBSA 1.2.1 from the MBSA Web site. For more information about MBSA support, visit the following Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) 1.2.1 Q&A Web site.Can I use Systems Management Server (SMS) to determine whether this update is required?Yes. SMS can help detect and deploy this security update. For information about SMS, visit the SMS Web site. The Security Update Inventory Tool is required for detecting Microsoft Windows and other affected Microsoft products. For more information about the limitations of the Security Update Inventory Tool, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 306460Top of sectionTop of sectionVulnerability DetailsCOM Structured Storage Vulnerability - CAN-2005-0047:A privilege elevation vulnerability exists in the way that the affected operating systems and programs access memory when they process COM structured storage files. This vulnerability could allow a logged on user to take complete control of the system.Mitigating Factors for COM Structured Storage Vulnerability - CAN-2005-0047:• An attacker must have valid logon credentials and be able to log on locally to exploit this vulnerability. The vulnerability could not be exploited remotely or by anonymous users.Top of sectionTop of sectionWorkarounds for COM Structured Storage Vulnerability - CAN-2005-0047:We have not identified any workarounds for this vulnerability.Top of sectionTop of sectionFAQ for COM Structured Storage Vulnerability - CAN-2005-0047:What is the scope of the vulnerability?This is a privilege elevation vulnerability. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. To attempt to exploit the vulnerability, an attacker must be able to log on locally to the system and run a program.What causes the vulnerability?The way that the affected operating systems and programs access memory when they process COM structured storage files or objects.What are COM Structured Storage files or objects?Traditional file systems encounter challenges when they attempt to efficiently store multiple kinds of objects in one document. COM provides a solution: a file system within a file. COM structured storage defines how to treat a single file entity as a structured collection of two types of objects. These two types of objects, storages and streams, behave like directories and files. This scheme is called structured storage. The purpose of structured storage is to reduce the performance penalties and overhead associated with storing separate objects in a flat file. For more information about COM structured storage files, visit the following MSDN Web site.What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do?An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of the affected system.Who could exploit the vulnerability?To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker must be able to log on locally to a system and run a program.How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability?To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially-crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability. The attacker could then gain complete control over the affected system.What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?Workstations and terminal servers are primarily at risk. Servers could be at more risk if users who do not have sufficient administrative permissions are given the ability to log on to servers and to run programs. However, best practices strongly discourage allowing this.Could the vulnerability be exploited over the Internet?No. An attacker must be able to log on to the specific system that is targeted for attack. An attacker cannot load and run a program remotely by using this vulnerability.What does the update do?The update removes the vulnerability by modifying the way that the affected operating systems validate the use of memory regions when they process COM structured storage files or objects.When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed?No. Microsoft received information about this vulnerability through responsible disclosure. Microsoft had not received any information to indicate that this vulnerability had been publicly disclosed when this security bulletin was originally issued.When this security bulletin was issued, had Microsoft received any reports that this vulnerability was being exploited?No. Microsoft had not received any information to indicate that this vulnerability had been publicly used to attack customers and had not seen any examples of proof of concept code published when this security bulletin was originally issued.Top of sectionTop of sectionTop of sectionTop of sectionInput Validation Vulnerability - CAN-2005-0044:A remote code execution vulnerability exists in OLE because of the way that it handles input validation. An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by constructing a malicious document that could potentially allow remote code execution. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. However, user interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability on Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003.Mitigating Factors for Input Validation Vulnerability - CAN-2005-0044:• An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user or program that processed the malicious document. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.• In a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker would have to host a Web site that contains a Web page that is used to exploit this vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit a malicious Web site. Instead, an attacker would have to persuade them to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link that takes them to the attacker's Web site. After they click the link, they would be prompted to perform several actions. An attack could only occur after they performed these actions.• User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability on Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003. For an attack to be successful by sending an e-mail message to a locally logged on user, the user must open an attachment that contains a malicious OLE object.Top of sectionTop of sectionWorkarounds for Input Validation Vulnerability - CAN-2005-0044:Microsoft has tested the following workarounds. While these workarounds will not correct the underlying vulnerability, they help block known attack vectors. When a workaround reduces functionality, it is identified in the following section.• Do not open or save documents that you receive from untrusted sources.This vulnerability could be exploited when a user opens a document that contains a malicious OLE object. Open documents that are sent only from trusted sources.• Block MS-TNEF to help protect against attempts to exploit this vulnerability through SMTP e-mail.Systems can be configured to block certain types of files sent through e-mail. Microsoft TNEF encoded e-mails, commonly known as Rich Text Formatted e-mail, can contain malicious OLE objects. These e-mails contain a file attachment that is usually named Winmail.dat to store the TNEF information. Blocking this file and blocking the application/ms-tnef MIME type could help protect both Exchange Servers and other affected programs from attempts to exploit this vulnerability if customers are unable to install the available security update. There are Exchange Server configuration settings, such as setting ‘Exchange rich-text format’ to ‘Never used’ or editing the registry and disabling TNEF processing that do not mitigate this vulnerability. To help protect an Exchange Server computer from attacks through SMTP, block the Winmail.dat file and all application/ms-tnef MIME type content before it reaches the Exchange Server computer. Note Exchange supports other messaging protocols such as X.400 that would not be protected using these workarounds. We recommend requiring authentication on all other client and message transport protocols to help prevent attacks using these protocols.Note Filtering only for attachments with the filename Winmail.dat may not sufficient protect your system. A malicious file attachment could be given another filename that could then be processed by the Exchange Server computer. To help protecte against these types of e-mails, you must also block all application/ms-tnef MIME type content.While there are many ways to block the Winmail.dat file and other TNEF content, here are some suggestions:• ISA Server 2000 SMTP Message Screener could be used to block all file attachments or just the Winmail.dat file. Blocking all file attachments is the recommendation to provide the most protection for this issue using ISA Server 2000 because ISA Server 2000 does not support blocking content based on MIME content types. See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 31532 for more information.• ISA Server 2000 SMTP Filter could be used to block all file attachments or just the Winmail.dat file. Blocking all file attachments is the recommendation to provide the most protection for this issue using ISA Server 2000 because ISA Server 2000 does not support blocking content based on MIME content types. See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 320703 for more information.• ISA Server 2004 SMTP Filter and Message Screener could be used to block all file attachments or just the Winmail.dat file. Blocking all file attachments is the recommendation to provide the most protection for this issue using ISA Server 2004 because ISA Server 2004 does not support blocking content based on MIME content types. See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 888709 for more information.• Use third party e-mail filters to block the all application/ms-tnef MIME content type before it is sent to the Exchange Server or vulnerable application.Impact of workaround: Blocking TNEF attachments will result in the loss of Rich Text Formatted e-mail. In some cases, users could receive blank e-mails instead of the original content or not receive the e-mail at all. Blocking the TNEF attachments will not affect HTML encoded or plain text e-mail messages. This procedure should only be performed if you are unable to install the available security update or a security update is not publicly available for your configuration.• Require authentication for connections to Exchange for all client and message transport protocols.Requiring authentication for all connections made to the Exchange Server computer will help protect against anonymous attacks. This will not protect against an attack from a malicious user who can successfully authenticate.Impact of workaround: Anonymous communication from clients through IMAP, POP3, HTTP, LDAP, SMTP and NNTP will no longer be possible. Server to server anonymous communication through RPC, X.400, foreign gateway, and third-party connector protocols will also no longer be possible. In most Exchange server configurations, authenticated access is already required for all protocols except SMTP. If all application/ms-tnef MIME type message parts and the Winmail.dat file can be blocked, as describe in the previous workaround, anonymous SMTP connections could still be accepted.• Do not accept incoming public newsfeeds through the NNTP protocol.Incoming newsfeeds are not enabled by default for Exchange Server. If you have subscribed to incoming newsfeeds from public newsgroups, an attacker could post a malicious message to such a newsgroup. Even if you require authentication between the news server and your Exchange Server computer, such a message could still be transferred to your Exchange Server computer. Therefore, you should disable incoming newsfeeds from any NNTP server that could let a user post a malicious message.Impact of workaround: Exchange access to public newsgroup feeds will no longer be possible.• Read e-mail messages in plain text format if you are using Outlook 2002 or a later version, or Outlook Express 6 SP1 or a later version, to help protect yourself from the e-mail attack vector.Microsoft Outlook 2002 users who have applied Office XP Service Pack 1 or a later version and Microsoft Outlook Express 6 users who have applied Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 or a later version can enable this setting and view e-mail messages that are not digitally signed or e-mail messages that are not encrypted in plain text only.Digitally signed e-mail messages or encrypted e-mail messages are not affected by the setting and may be read in their original formats. For more information about how to enable this setting in Outlook 2002, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 307594.For information about this setting in Outlook Express 6, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 291387.Impact of Workaround: E-mail messages that are viewed in plain text format will not contain pictures, specialized fonts, animations, or other rich content. Additionally:• The changes are applied to the preview pane and to open messages.• Pictures become attachments so that they are not lost.• Because the message is still in Rich Text or HTML format in the store, the object model (custom code solutions) may behave unexpectedly.Top of sectionTop of sectionFAQ for Input Validation Vulnerability - CAN-2005-0044:What is the scope of the vulnerability?This is a remote code execution vulnerability. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could remotely take complete control of an affected system. If a user or program is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users and programs whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users or programs that operate with administrative user rights. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability on Windows 2000, on Windows XP, and on Windows Server 2003.What causes the vulnerability?An unchecked buffer in the process that OLE uses to validate data.What is OLE?By using OLE technology, an application can provide embedding and linking support. OLE is the technology that applications use to create and edit compound documents. These are documents of one format, such as a Microsoft Word document, that contain embeddings of (or links to) documents of another format, such as Microsoft Excel. OLE 2.0 takes OLE even further by allowing in-place editing. Instead of launching a new application when an OLE object is activated, the user instead sees a new set of menu items inside their existing application. For more information about OLE, visit the following MSDN Web site.What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do?An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of the affected system.How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability?On Exchange Server 5.0, Exchange Server 5.5, Exchange 2000 Server, and Exchange Server 2003 any anonymous user who could deliver a specially crafted message to the affected system could try to exploit this vulnerability. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability on Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003. For an attack to be successful by sending an e-mail message to a locally logged on user, the user must open an attachment that contains a malicious OLE object. Many different types of attached documents can contain the affected OLE Object types. All Office file types as well as many other third-party file types could contain a malicious OLE Object.What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?Exchange Servers and any program using OLE that runs on an affected operating system are at risk from this vulnerability. Programs that run at an elevated level of user rights could be at an increased level of risk from this vulnerability. Exchange Servers are primarily at risk because an attacker could try to exploit this vulnerability without any required user interaction, and because Exchange Servers typically run with elevated user rights. Exchange Server that contain NNTP newsgroups from the Internet or contain postings from anonymous users could also be vulnerable to this issue.Any application that uses the Windows OLE component could also be vulnerable to this issue. The list of affected software documents the most likely attack vectors. Installing this security update will address this vulnerability in any application that uses the Windows OLE component.Are Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition or Windows Millennium Edition critically affected by this vulnerability?No. Although Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows Millennium Edition do contain the affected component, the vulnerability is not critical. For more information about severity ratings, visit the following Web site.Could the vulnerability be exploited over the Internet?Yes. An attacker could try to exploit this vulnerability over the Internet.What does the update do?The update removes the vulnerability by modifying the way that OLE validates the length of a message before it passes the message to the allocated buffer.When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed?No. Microsoft had not received any information to indicate that this vulnerability had been publicly disclosed when this security bulletin was originally issued.When this security bulletin was issued, had Microsoft received any reports that this vulnerability was being exploited?No. Microsoft had not received any information to indicate that this vulnerability had been publicly used to attack customers and had not seen any examples of proof of concept code published when this security bulletin was originally issued.Top of sectionTop of sectionTop of sectionTop of sectionTop of sectionTop of sectionSecurity Update InformationAffected Software:For information about the specific security update for your affected software, click the appropriate link:Windows Server 2003 (all versions)PrerequisitesThis security update requires a release version of Windows Server 2003.Inclusion in Future Service Packs:The update for this issue will be included in Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1.Installation InformationThis security update supports the following setup switches:/help Displays the command-line optionsSetup Modes/quiet Quiet mode (no user interaction or display)/passive Unattended mode (progress bar only)/uninstall Uninstalls the packageRestart Options/norestart Do not restart when installation has completed/forcerestart Restart after installationSpecial Options/l Lists installed Windows hotfixes or update packages/o Overwrite OEM files without prompting/n Do not backup files needed for uninstall/f Force other programs to close when the computer shuts down/integrate:path Integrates the update into t