From secnotif@MICROSOFT.COM Fri Dec 3 16:19:45 1999 From: Microsoft Product Security Resent-From: mea culpa To: MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM Resent-To: jericho@attrition.org Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1999 19:10:16 -0800 Subject: Microsoft Security Bulletin (MS99-052) The following is a Security Bulletin from the Microsoft Product Security Notification Service. Please do not reply to this message, as it was sent from an unattended mailbox. ******************************** Microsoft Security Bulletin (MS99-052) -------------------------------------- Patch Available for "Legacy Credential Caching" Vulnerability Originally Posted: November 29, 1999 Summary ======= Microsoft has released a patch that eliminates a security vulnerability in Microsoft(r) Windows(r) 95 and 98 caused by a legacy mechanism for caching network security credentials. The vulnerability could allow a user's plaintext network password to be retrieved from the cache. Frequently asked questions regarding this vulnerability can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/security/bulletins/MS99-052faq.asp. Issue ===== Windows for Workgroups(r) provided a RAM-based caching mechanism that cached the user's plaintext network credentials for use by real-mode command-line networking utilities. Part of this mechanism was carried forward into the Windows 95 and 98 designs, even though it is not used by either. A malicious user could query this mechanism to obtain the network credentials of the last person to use the machine for network access, as long as they had physical access to the machine and it had not been rebooted since the last networking session. Affected Software Versions ========================== - Microsoft Windows 95 - Microsoft Windows 98 Patch Availability ================== - Windows 95: http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/downloads/ contents/WUCritical/password/default.asp - Windows 98: http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/downloads/ contents/WUCritical/password/default.asp NOTE: Line breaks have been inserted into the above URLs for readability. NOTE: Windows 98 Second Edition is not affected by this vulnerability. More Information ================ Please see the following references for more information related to this issue. - Microsoft Security Bulletin MS99-052: Frequently Asked Questions, http://www.microsoft.com/security/bulletins/MS99-052faq.asp. - Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) article Q168115, Windows Security Update Prevents Reading Domain Password, http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q168/1/15.asp. (Note: It may take 24 hours from the original posting of this bulletin for this KB article to be visible.) - Microsoft Security Advisor web site, http://www.microsoft.com/security/default.asp. Obtaining Support on this Issue =============================== This is a fully supported patch. Information on contacting Microsoft Technical Support is available at http://support.microsoft.com/support/contact/default.asp. Revisions ========= - November 29, 1999: Bulletin Created. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. (c) 1999 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use. ******************************************************************* You have received this e-mail bulletin as a result of your registration to the Microsoft Product Security Notification Service. You may unsubscribe from this e-mail notification service at any time by sending an e-mail to MICROSOFT_SECURITY-SIGNOFF-REQUEST@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM The subject line and message body are not used in processing the request, and can be anything you like. For more information on the Microsoft Security Notification Service please visit http://www.microsoft.com/security/services/bulletin.asp. For security-related information about Microsoft products, please visit the Microsoft Security Advisor web site at http://www.microsoft.com/security.