- ------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Flaw in ISAPI Extension for Windows Media Services Could Cause Denial of Service (817772) Date: 28 May 2003 Software: Microsoft(r) Windows NT(r) 4.0, and Windows(r) 2000 Impact: Allow an attacker to execute code of their choice Max Risk: Moderate Bulletin: MS03-019 Microsoft encourages customers to review the Security Bulletins at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-019.asp http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/ms03-019.asp - ------------------------------------------------------------------- Issue: ====== Microsoft Windows Media Services is a feature of Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, Advanced Server, and Datacenter Server and is also available as a downloadable version for Windows NT 4.0 Server. Windows Media Services contain support for a method of delivering media content to clients across a network known as multicast streaming. In multicast streaming however, the server has no connection or knowledge of the clients that may be receiving the stream coming from the server. To facilitate logging of client information for the server Windows 2000 includes a capability specifically designed for that purpose. . To help with this problem, Windows 2000 includes logging capabilities for multicast and unicast transmissions. This capability is implemented as an Internet Services Application Programming Interface (ISAPI) extension - nsiislog.dll. When Windows Media Services are installed in Windows NT 4.0 Server or added through add/remove programs to Windows 2000, nsiislog.dll is installed to the Internet Information Services (IIS) Scripts directory on the server. There is a flaw in the way in which nsiislog.dll processes incoming requests. A vulnerability exists because an attacker could send specially formed communications to the server that could cause IIS to stop responding to Internet requests. Windows Media Services is not installed by default on Windows 2000, and must be downloaded to install on Windows NT 4.0. An attacker attempting to exploit this vulnerability would have to be aware which computers on the network had Windows Media Services installed on it and send a specific request to that server. The denial of service would only affect IIS, and other services on the server would remain unaffected. Mitigating Factors: ==================== - Windows Media Services 4.1 is not installed by default on Windows 2000, and must be downloaded to install on Windows NT 4.0. - Windows Media Services are not available for Windows 2000 Professional or Windows NT 4.0 Workstation - The attacker would have to know which server on the network Windows Media Services had been installed on. Risk Rating: ============ Moderate Patch Availability: =================== - A patch is available to fix this vulnerability. Please read the Security Bulletins at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms03-019.asp http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/ms03-019.asp for information on obtaining this patch. Acknowledgment: =============== - Brett Moore (brett@softwarecreations.co.nz) - ------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. *******************************************************************