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Title: Unchecked Buffer in MDAC Function Could Enable System
Compromise (823718)
Date: 20 August 2003
Software:

• Microsoft Data Access Components 2.5
• Microsoft Data Access Components 2.6
• Microsoft Data Access Components 2.7

Impact: Run code of the attacker's choice
Max Risk: Important
Bulletin: MS03-033

Microsoft encourages customers to review the Security Bulletins
at:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-033.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/ms03-033.asp

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Issue:

Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) is a collection of
components that are used to provide database connectivity on
Windows platforms. MDAC is a ubiquitous technology, and it is
likely to be present on most Windows systems:

• By default, MDAC is included by default as part of Microsoft
  Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition, and
  Windows Server 2003. (It is worth noting, though, that the
  version that is installed by Windows Server 2003 does not have
  this vulnerability.)
• MDAC is available for download as a stand-alone technology.
• MDAC is either included in or installed by a number of other
  products and technologies. For example, MDAC is included in
  the Microsoft Windows NT(r) 4.0 Option Pack and in Microsoft SQL
  Server 2000. Additionally, some MDAC components are present as
  part of Microsoft Internet Explorer even when MDAC itself is
  not installed.

MDAC provides the underlying functionality for a number of
database operations, such as connecting to remote databases and
returning data to a client. When a client system on a network
tries to see list of computers that are running SQL Server and
that reside on the network, it sends a broadcast request to all
the devices that are on the network. Due to a flaw in a specific
MDAC component, an attacker could respond with a specially
crafted packet that could cause a buffer overflow.

An attacker who successfully exploited this flaw could gain the
same level of privileges over the system as the application that
initiated the broadcast request. The actions an attacker could
carry out would be dependent on the permissions which the
application using MDAC ran under. If the application ran with
limited privileges, an attacker would be limited accordingly;
however, if the application runs under the local system context,
the attacker would have the same level of permissions. This could
include creating, modifying, or deleting data on the system, or
reconfiguring the system. This could also include reformatting
the hard disk or running programs of the attacker's choice.

This bulletin supercedes the patch discussed in MS02-040.
Customers should install this patch as it contains the fix for
the vulnerability discussed in bulletin MS02-040 and the patch
discussed in this bulletin.

Mitigating Factors:

• For an attack to be successful an attacker would need to
  simulate a SQL server on the same subnet as the target system.
• Code executed on the client system would only run under the
  privileges of the logged-on user.
• MDAC version 2.8 (which is the version included with Windows
  Server 2003) does not contain the flaw that is addressed by
  this bulletin.

Risk Rating:

• Important

Patch Availability:

• A patch is available to fix this vulnerability. Please read
  the Security Bulletins at:

  http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms03-
  033.asp
  http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/ms03-
  033.asp

  for information on obtaining this patch.

Acknowledgment:

• Microsoft thanks Aaron C. Newman of Application Security, Inc.
  for reporting this issue to us and for working with us to help
  protect customers.

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