Microsoft Windows User Shell Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

BID:4248

Info

Microsoft Windows User Shell Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

Bugtraq ID: 4248
Class: Boundary Condition Error
CVE:
Remote: Yes
Local: No
Published: Mar 07 2002 12:00AM
Updated: Mar 07 2002 12:00AM
Credit: Vulnerability discovery credited to Eeye Digital Security.
Vulnerable: Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP6a
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP6
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP5
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP4
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP3
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP2
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP1
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 SP6
Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 SP5
Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 SP4
Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 SP3
Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 SP2
Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0 SP1
Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 SP6a
+ Avaya DefinityOne Media Servers
+ Avaya DefinityOne Media Servers
+ Avaya IP600 Media Servers
+ Avaya IP600 Media Servers
+ Avaya S3400 Message Application Server 0
+ Avaya S8100 Media Servers 0
+ Avaya S8100 Media Servers 0
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 SP6
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 SP5
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 SP4
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 SP3
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 SP2
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 SP1
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 SP6a
Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 SP6
Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 SP5
Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 SP4
Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 SP3
Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 SP2
Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0 SP1
Microsoft Windows NT Enterprise Server 4.0
Microsoft Windows 98SE
Microsoft Windows 98 SP1
Microsoft Windows 98
Microsoft Windows 2000 Server SP2
Microsoft Windows 2000 Server SP1
Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
+ Avaya DefinityOne Media Servers
+ Avaya IP600 Media Servers
+ Avaya S3400 Message Application Server 0
+ Avaya S8100 Media Servers 0
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP2
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP1
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server SP2
Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server SP1
Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP2
Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP1
Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
Not Vulnerable:

Discussion

Microsoft Windows User Shell Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

A buffer overflow has been discovered in the Windows user shell. The condition exists in the component of the user shell responsible for locating programs that are 'missing' to the system. 'missing' applications are those which have been registered as installed programs, but have been deleted or improperly uninstalled.

Under extreme circumstances, this vulnerability may be remotely exploitable. This may be the case if an application has registered itself as an URL handler and is improperly uninstalled.

The overflow condition may be triggered in an exploitable manner if the URL handler is invoked when a specially constructed link is clicked on by a user visiting a malicious website (or reading HTML email).

When searching for the 'missing' application, the data in the URL may overwrite an activation record in the stack of the shell process.

If an attacker is aware of the registered URL-handler and can anticipate the application being 'missing', an URL containing a replacement return address and shellcode may be constructed. If a victim were to click on the link (and if the attempt is successful), arbitrary code may be executed on the client system within the security context of the user.

References

Microsoft Windows User Shell Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

References:

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