Microsoft Security Bulletin MS07-006 Vulnerability in Windows Shell Could Allow Elevation of Privilege (928255)

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS07-006
Vulnerability in Windows Shell Could Allow Elevation of Privilege (928255)
Published: February 13, 2007

Version: 1.0
Summary

Who Should Read this Document: Customers who use Microsoft Windows

Impact of Vulnerability: Elevation of Privilege

Maximum Severity Rating: Important

Recommendation: Customers should apply the update at the earliest opportunity

Security Update Replacement: This bulletin replaces a prior security update. See the frequently asked questions (FAQ) section of this bulletin for the complete list.

Caveats: None

Tested Software and Security Update Download Locations:

Affected Software:
•

Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 — Download the update
•

Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition — Download the update
•

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 — Download the update
•

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 for Itanium-based Systems and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 with SP1 for Itanium-based Systems — Download the update
•

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition — Download the update

Non-Affected Software:
•

Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4
•

Microsoft Windows Vista

The software in this list has been tested to determine whether the versions are affected. Other versions either no longer include security update support or may not be affected. To determine the support life cycle for your product and version, visit the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Web site.

Note The security updates for Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1, and Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition also apply to Windows Server 2003 R2.
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General Information

Executive Summary

Executive Summary:

This update resolves a newly discovered, privately reported, vulnerability. The vulnerability is documented in the "Vulnerability Details" section of this bulletin.

An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.

We recommend that customers apply the update at the earliest opportunity.

Severity Ratings and Vulnerability Identifiers:
Vulnerability Identifiers Impact of Vulnerability Windows XP Service Pack 2 Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1

Windows Shell Hardware Detection Vulnerability - CVE-2007-0211

Elevation of Privilege

Important

Important

Important

This assessment is based on the types of systems that are affected by the vulnerability, their typical deployment patterns, and the effect that exploiting the vulnerability would have on them.

Note The security updates for Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 also apply to Windows Server 2003 R2.

Note The severity ratings for non-x86 operating system versions map to the x86 operating systems versions as follows:
•

The Windows XP Professional x64 Edition severity rating is the same as the Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2.
•

The Windows Server 2003 for Itanium-based Systems severity rating is the same as the Windows Server 2003 severity rating.
•

The Windows Server 2003 with SP1 for Itanium-based Systems severity rating is the same as the Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 severity rating.
•

The Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition severity rating is the same as the Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 severity rating.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Related to This Security Update

What updates does this release replace?
This security update replaces a prior security update. The security bulletin ID and affected operating systems are listed in the following table.
Bulletin ID Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 Windows XP Service Pack 2 Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1

MS06-045

Not Applicable

Replaced

Replaced

Replaced

Extended security update support for Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 1 or Service Pack 1a, Windows XP Media Center Edition 2002 Service Pack 1, Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 Service Pack 1, Windows XP Professional Service Pack 1 or Service Pack 1a, and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition Service Pack 1 ended on October 10, 2006. I am still using one of these operating systems; what should I do?
Windows XP (all versions) Service Pack 1 has reached the end of its support life cycle. It should be a priority for customers who have these operating system versions to migrate to supported versions to prevent potential exposure to vulnerabilities. For more information about the Windows Product Lifecycle, visit the following Microsoft Support Lifecycle Web site. For more information about the extended security update support period for these operating system versions, visit the Microsoft Product Support Services Web site.

Extended security update support for Microsoft Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, or Windows Millennium Edition ended on July 11, 2006. I am still using one of these operating systems; what should I do?
Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows Millennium Edition have reached the end of their support life cycles. It should be a priority for customers who have these operating system versions to migrate to supported versions to prevent potential exposure to vulnerabilities. For more information about the Windows Product Lifecycle, visit the following Microsoft Support Lifecycle Web site. For more information about the extended security update support period for these operating system versions, visit the Microsoft Product Support Services Web site.

Extended security update support for Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Service Pack 6a and Windows 2000 Service Pack 2 ended on June 30, 2004. Extended security update support for Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Service Pack 6a ended on December 31, 2004. Extended security update support for Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 ended on June 30, 2005. I am still using one of these operating systems; what should I do?
Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Service Pack 6a, Windows NT Server 4.0 Service Pack 6a, Windows 2000 Service Pack 2, and Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 have reached the end of their support life cycles. It should be a priority for customers who have these operating system versions to migrate to supported versions to prevent potential exposure to vulnerabilities. For more information about the Windows Product Lifecycle, visit the following Microsoft Support Lifecycle Web site. For more information about the extended security update support period for these operating system versions, visit the Microsoft Product Support Services Web site.

Customers who require custom support for these products must contact their Microsoft account team representative, their Technical Account Manager, or the appropriate Microsoft partner representative for custom support options. Customers without an Alliance, Premier, or Authorized Contract can contact their local Microsoft sales office. For contact information, visit the Microsoft Worldwide Information Web site, select the country, and then click Go to see a list of telephone numbers. When you call, ask to speak with the local Premier Support sales manager. For more information, see the Windows Operating System Product Support Lifecycle FAQ.

For more information, visit the Windows Operating System FAQ.

Can I use the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) to determine whether this update is required?
The following table provides the MBSA detection summary for this security update.
Product MBSA 1.2.1 MBSA 2.0

Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2

Yes

Yes

Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition

No

Yes

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1

Yes

Yes

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 for Itanium-based Systems and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 for Itanium-based Systems

No

Yes

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition family

No

Yes

For more information about MBSA, visit the MBSA Web site. For more information about the programs that Microsoft Update and MBSA 2.0 currently do not detect, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 895660.

For more detailed information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 910723.

Can I use Systems Management Server (SMS) to determine whether this update is required?
The following table provides the SMS detection summary for this security update.
Product SMS 2.0 SMS 2003

Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2

Yes

Yes

Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition

No

Yes

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1

Yes

Yes

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 for Itanium-based Systems and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 for Itanium-based Systems

No

Yes

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition family

No

Yes

SMS 2.0 and SMS 2003 Software Update Services (SUS) Feature Pack can use MBSA 1.2.1 for detection and therefore have the same limitation that is listed earlier in this bulletin related to programs that MBSA 1.2.1 does not detect.

For SMS 2.0, the SMS SUS Feature Pack, which includes the Security Update Inventory Tool (SUIT), can be used by SMS to detect security updates. SMS SUIT uses the MBSA 1.2.1 engine for detection. For more information about SUIT, visit the following Microsoft Web site. For more information about the limitations of SUIT, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 306460. The SMS SUS Feature Pack also includes the Microsoft Office Inventory Tool to detect required updates for Microsoft Office applications.

For SMS 2003, the SMS 2003 Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates (ITMU) can be used by SMS to detect security updates that are offered by Microsoft Update and that are supported by Windows Server Update Services. For more information about the SMS 2003 ITMU, visit the following Microsoft Web site. SMS 2003 can also use the Microsoft Office Inventory Tool to detect required updates for Microsoft Office applications.

For more information about SMS, visit the SMS Web site.

For more detailed information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 910723.
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Vulnerability Details

Windows Shell Hardware Detection Vulnerability - CVE-2007-0211:

A privilege elevation vulnerability exists in Windows Shell in the way that the operating system performs detection and registration of new hardware. This vulnerability could allow an authenticated user to take complete control of the system.

Mitigating Factors for Windows Shell Hardware Detection Vulnerability - CVE-2007-0211:
•

An attacker must have valid logon credentials to exploit this vulnerability. The vulnerability could not be exploited by anonymous users.
•

On Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 an attacker would have to have Administrator privileges in order to exploit the vulnerability remotely.
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Workarounds for Windows Shell Hardware Detection Vulnerability - CVE-2007-0211:

Microsoft has tested the following workarounds. Although these workarounds will not correct the underlying vulnerability, they help block known attack vectors. When a workaround reduces functionality, it is identified in the following section.
•

Disable the Shell Hardware Detection service

Disabling the Shell Hardware Detection service will help protect the affected system from attempts to exploit this vulnerability. To disable the Shell Hardware Detection service, follow these steps:

Click Start, and then click Control Panel. Alternatively, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

Double-click Administrative Tools.

Double-click Services.

Double-click Shell Hardware Detection service.

In the Startup type list, click Disabled.

Click Stop, and then click OK.

You can also stop and disable the Shell Hardware Detection service by using the following command at the command prompt:

sc stop ShellHWDetection & sc config ShellHWDetection start= disabled

Impact of Workaround: If you disable the Shell Hardware Detection service, you may not be able to utilize Fast User switching capabilities. Therefore, we recommend this workaround only on systems that do not require communication with digital imaging devices.
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FAQ for Windows Shell Hardware Detection Vulnerability - CVE-2007-0211:

What is the scope of the vulnerability?
This is a privilege elevation vulnerability. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. To attempt to exploit the vulnerability, an attacker must have valid logon credentials to the system and run a program.

What is the Shell Hardware Detection service?
The Shell Hardware Detection service provides notifications for AutoPlay hardware events.

What causes the vulnerability?
A function parameter in the hardware initialization and detection capabilities of Microsoft Windows was not validated.

What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do?
An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of the affected system.

Who could exploit the vulnerability?
To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker must have valid logon credentials to the system and run a program.

How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability?
To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to authenticate to the system and execute a specially crafted application. An attacker could then force the affected system to perform a hardware detection and initialization event. The request could be issued locally or through a terminal services session by calling a specially crafted application, hardware device, or storage volume that could exploit the vulnerability and gain complete control over the affected system.

What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Workstations and terminal servers are primarily at risk. Servers could be at more risk if administrators allow users to log on to servers and to run programs. However, best practices strongly discourage allowing this.

Could the vulnerability be exploited over the Internet?
No. An attacker must be able to log on to the specific system that is targeted for attack. An unauthenticated attacker cannot load and run a program remotely by using this vulnerability.

What does the update do?
The update removes the vulnerability by validating the parameter of the affected function.

When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed?
No. Microsoft received information about this vulnerability through responsible disclosure. Microsoft had not received any information to indicate that this vulnerability had been publicly disclosed when this security bulletin was originally issued.

When this security bulletin was issued, had Microsoft received any reports that this vulnerability was being exploited?
No. Microsoft had not received any information to indicate that this vulnerability had been publicly used to attack customers and had not seen any examples of proof of concept code published when this security bulletin was originally issued.

How does this vulnerability relate to the vulnerability that is corrected by MS06-045?
While both vulnerabilities were in Windows Shell, this update addresses a new vulnerability that was not addressed as part of MS06-045. MS06-045 helps protect against the vulnerability that is discussed in that bulletin, but does not address this new vulnerability. This update does replace MS06-045. You must install this update to help protect your system against both vulnerabilities.

Disclaimer:

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.

Revisions:
•

V1.0 (February, 13 2007): Bulletin published.