Microsoft Windows 9x IPX Ping Packet DoS Vulnerability

Bugtraq ID:	1544
Class:	Failure to Handle Exceptional Conditions
CVE:
Remote:	Yes
Local:	Yes
Published:	Aug 03 2000 12:00AM
Updated:	Aug 03 2000 12:00AM
Credit:	Discovered by Jacek Lipkowski <[email protected]> on June 2, 2000 and publicized in a Microsoft Security Bulletin (MS00-054) on August 3, 2000.
Vulnerable:	Microsoft Windows 98 Microsoft Windows 95
Not Vulnerable:	Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 + Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 + Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 + Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 + Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 + Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 + Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 + Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 + Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional

Microsoft Windows 9x IPX Ping Packet DoS Vulnerability

Microsoft Windows 9x is susceptible to denial of service attacks due to improper handling of specially malformed IPX/SPX Ping packets via port 0x456.

The IPX/SPX protocol is not installed by default on Windows 98 machines and is installed by default on Windows 95 machines only if a Network Interface Card is present on the system at time of installation. If IPX/SPX is enabled, Windows 9x will accept specially malformed IPX Ping packets whose source address has been modified to be the broadcast address and can cause broadcast storms, thus saturating the network bandwidth. If the source address has been altered to be the same as the broadcast address, each machine on the network segment would respond to the Ping request which would temporarily disable network operations and each host would require a reboot in order to regain normal functionality.

Microsoft Windows 9x IPX Ping Packet DoS Vulnerability

Currently the SecurityFocus staff are not aware of any exploits for this issue. If you feel we are in error or are aware of more recent information, please mail us at: [email protected].

Microsoft Windows 9x IPX Ping Packet DoS Vulnerability

Solution:
Microsoft has released the following patches which eliminates the vulnerability:


Microsoft Windows 98

• Microsoft Q265334
  http://download.microsoft.com/download/win98/Update/8982/W98/EN-US/265 334USA8.EXE

Microsoft Windows 95

• Microsoft Q265334
  http://download.microsoft.com/download/win95/Update/8982/W95/EN-US/265 334US5.EXE

Microsoft Windows 9x IPX Ping Packet DoS Vulnerability

References:

• Frequently Asked Questions: Microsoft Security Bulletin (MS00-054) (Microsoft)