manunkind
December 7, 2000, 02:31 am
Microsoft Security Bulletin (MS00-095)
Tool Available for “Registry Permissions” Vulnerability
Originally posted: December 06, 2000
Summary
Microsoft has released a tool that corrects the permissions on several registry values in Microsoft® Windows NT® 4.0. The default permissions could allow a malicious user to gain additional privileges on an affected machine.
Frequently asked questions regarding this vulnerability and the patch can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/fq00-095.asp
Issue
Three registry keys have default permissions that are inappropriately loose. The keys, and the risk they pose, are as follows:
The “SNMP Parameters” key, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\SNMP\Parameters, provides the SNMP community name and SNMP management station identifiers, if they exist. Reading this information would enable a malicious user to pose as a bona fide SNMP manager for any community the affected machine belonged to. (In actuality, though, the same information could be obtained by monitoring network traffic). Changing this information would enable her to create a community consisting solely of her local machine, as a way of gaining management privileges on it. SNMP is not installed on Windows NT 4.0 machines by default.
The “RAS Administration” key, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\RAS, provides a way to install third-party RAS products that work with the Windows NT native RAS service. By changing one of the values in this key, it would be possible for a malicious user to specify code of her choice as a third-party management tool. The code would then run in the LocalSystem security context. Although it might be possible to make the needed registry changes remotely, the malicious user’s code would need to reside on the affected machine itself. RAS is not installed on Windows NT 4.0 machines by default.
The “MTS Package Administration” key, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Transaction Server\Packages, includes information about which users are allowed to install and change MTS packages. By adding herself as an MTS manager, a malicious user could gain the ability to add, delete or change MTS packages. Although it might be possible in some cases to make the needed registry changes remotely, the malicious user would still need the ability to log onto the affected machine interactively in order to exercise her new privileges. MTS is not installed on Windows NT 4.0 machines by default.
In addition to correcting the permissions on these keys, the tool also changes the permissions on several other keys that have previously been discussed. Specifically, the tool makes all the changes discussed in Microsoft Security Bulletins MS00-008 and MS00-024.
Affected Software Versions
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server, Enterprise Edition
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server, Terminal Server Edition
Patch Availability http://www.microsoft.com/Downloads/Release.asp?ReleaseID=24501
Note: The version of the tool in this bulletin also includes all changes discussed in Security Bulletins MS00-008 and MS00-024.
Note: This tool may be run on machines running Windows NT 4.0 Service Packs 5 and 6a.
Note Additional security patches are available at the Microsoft Download Center
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Moderator at Help from Techs Support Forums (http://www.helpfromtechs.com)
Tool Available for “Registry Permissions” Vulnerability
Originally posted: December 06, 2000
Summary
Microsoft has released a tool that corrects the permissions on several registry values in Microsoft® Windows NT® 4.0. The default permissions could allow a malicious user to gain additional privileges on an affected machine.
Frequently asked questions regarding this vulnerability and the patch can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/fq00-095.asp
Issue
Three registry keys have default permissions that are inappropriately loose. The keys, and the risk they pose, are as follows:
The “SNMP Parameters” key, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\SNMP\Parameters, provides the SNMP community name and SNMP management station identifiers, if they exist. Reading this information would enable a malicious user to pose as a bona fide SNMP manager for any community the affected machine belonged to. (In actuality, though, the same information could be obtained by monitoring network traffic). Changing this information would enable her to create a community consisting solely of her local machine, as a way of gaining management privileges on it. SNMP is not installed on Windows NT 4.0 machines by default.
The “RAS Administration” key, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\RAS, provides a way to install third-party RAS products that work with the Windows NT native RAS service. By changing one of the values in this key, it would be possible for a malicious user to specify code of her choice as a third-party management tool. The code would then run in the LocalSystem security context. Although it might be possible to make the needed registry changes remotely, the malicious user’s code would need to reside on the affected machine itself. RAS is not installed on Windows NT 4.0 machines by default.
The “MTS Package Administration” key, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Transaction Server\Packages, includes information about which users are allowed to install and change MTS packages. By adding herself as an MTS manager, a malicious user could gain the ability to add, delete or change MTS packages. Although it might be possible in some cases to make the needed registry changes remotely, the malicious user would still need the ability to log onto the affected machine interactively in order to exercise her new privileges. MTS is not installed on Windows NT 4.0 machines by default.
In addition to correcting the permissions on these keys, the tool also changes the permissions on several other keys that have previously been discussed. Specifically, the tool makes all the changes discussed in Microsoft Security Bulletins MS00-008 and MS00-024.
Affected Software Versions
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server, Enterprise Edition
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server, Terminal Server Edition
Patch Availability http://www.microsoft.com/Downloads/Release.asp?ReleaseID=24501
Note: The version of the tool in this bulletin also includes all changes discussed in Security Bulletins MS00-008 and MS00-024.
Note: This tool may be run on machines running Windows NT 4.0 Service Packs 5 and 6a.
Note Additional security patches are available at the Microsoft Download Center
------------------
Moderator at Help from Techs Support Forums (http://www.helpfromtechs.com)