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Published: July 8, 2014 | Updated: July 16, 2014
Version: 1.1
This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerability could allow elevation of privilege if an attacker uses a vulnerability in a low integrity process to execute the On-Screen Keyboard (OSK) and upload a specially crafted program to the target system.
This security update is rated Important for all supported releases of Windows except Windows Server 2003. For more information, see the Affected and Non-Affected Software section.
The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how some programs communicate with programs of a different integrity level. For more information about the vulnerability, see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) subsection for the specific vulnerability in this bulletin.
Recommendation. Most customers have automatic updating enabled and will not need to take any action because this security update will be downloaded and installed automatically. For information about specific configuration options in automatic updating, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 294871. For customers who do not have automatic updating enabled, the steps in Turn automatic updating on or off can be used to enable automatic updating.
For enterprise installations, or administrators and end users who want to install this security update manually (including customers who have not enabled automatic updating), Microsoft recommends that customers apply the update at the earliest opportunity using update management software, or by checking for updates using the Microsoft Update service. The updates are also available via the download links in the Affected Software table in this bulletin.
For additional guidance, see the Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance section in this bulletin.
The following software has been tested to determine which versions or editions are affected. Other versions or editions are either past their support life cycle or are not affected. To determine the support life cycle for your software version or edition, see Microsoft Support Lifecycle.
Affected Software
| Operating System | Maximum Security Impact | Aggregate Severity Rating | Updates Replaced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Vista | |||
| Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (2973201) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 2 (2973201) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows Server 2008 | |||
| Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (2973201) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (2973201) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems Service Pack 2 (2973201) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows 7 | |||
| Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1 (2973201) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (2973201) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 | |||
| Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (2973201) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems Service Pack 1 (2973201) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 | |||
| Windows 8 for 32-bit Systems (2973201) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows 8 for x64-based Systems (2973201) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows 8.1 for 32-bit Systems[1] (2973201) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows 8.1 for 32-bit Systems[2] (2973906) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows 8.1 for x64-based Systems[1] (2973201) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows 8.1 for x64-based Systems[2] (2973906) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 | |||
| Windows Server 2012 (2973201) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows Server 2012 R2[1] (2973201) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows Server 2012 R2[2] (2973906) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows RT and Windows RT 8.1 | |||
| Windows RT[3] (2973201) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows RT 8.1[3] (2973201) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Server Core installation option | |||
| Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation) (2973201) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation) (2973201) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation) (2973201) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation) (2973201) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation)[1] (2973201) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
| Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation)[2] (2973906) | Elevation of Privilege | Important | 2930275 in MS14-015 |
[1]This update is for systems that have the 2919355 update installed. See the Update FAQ for more information.
[2]This update is for systems that do not have the 2919355 update installed. This update is not available via the Microsoft Download Center. See the Update FAQ for more information.
[3]This update is available via Windows Update.
Non-Affected Software
| Operating System |
|---|
| Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 |
| Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2 |
| Windows Server 2003 with SP2 for Itanium-based Systems |
There are multiple updates listed for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2. Do I need to install all the updates?
No. Depending on how your system is configured to receive updates, only one of the updates for Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2 will apply.
For systems running Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2:
Update 2973201 is for systems that already have the 2919355 (Windows 8.1 Update) update installed.
Update 2973906 is for systems without the 2919355 update installed. Note that the 2973906 update is only available for customers managing updates using Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), Windows Intune, or System Center Configuration Manager.
For Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows RT 8.1 are there any prerequisites for the 2973201 update?
Yes. Customers running Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, or Windows RT 8.1 must first install the 2919355 (Windows 8.1 Update) update released in April, 2014 before installing the 2973201 update. For more information about the prerequisite update, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2919355.
Does this update contain any security-related changes to functionality?
Yes. This update adds new security-related flags to the structures that developers use to author low-level keyboard and mouse input hooks. For detailed information about the functionality changes, see KBDLLHOOKSTRUCT structure and MSLLHOOKSTRUCT structure.
I am using an older release of the software discussed in this security bulletin. What should I do?
The affected software listed in this bulletin has been tested to determine which releases are affected. Other releases are past their support life cycle. For more information about the product lifecycle, see the Microsoft Support Lifecycle website.
It should be a priority for customers who have older releases of the software to migrate to supported releases to prevent potential exposure to vulnerabilities. To determine the support lifecycle for your software release, see Select a Product for Lifecycle Information. For more information about service packs for these software releases, see Service Pack Lifecycle Support Policy.
Customers who require custom support for older software 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, see the Microsoft Worldwide Information website, select the country in the Contact Information list, 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 Microsoft Support Lifecycle Policy FAQ.
The following severity ratings assume the potential maximum impact of the vulnerability. For information regarding the likelihood, within 30 days of this security bulletin's release, of the exploitability of the vulnerability in relation to its severity rating and security impact, please see the Exploitability Index in the July bulletin summary. For more information, see Microsoft Exploitability Index.
| Vulnerability Severity Rating and Maximum Security Impact by Affected Software | ||
|---|---|---|
| Affected Software | On-Screen Keyboard Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability - CVE-2014-2781 | Aggregate Severity Rating |
| Windows Vista | ||
| Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (2973201) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 2 (2973201) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows Server 2008 | ||
| Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (2973201) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (2973201) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems Service Pack 2 (2973201) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows 7 | ||
| Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1 (2973201) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (2973201) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 | ||
| Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (2973201) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems Service Pack 1 (2973201) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 | ||
| Windows 8 for 32-bit Systems (2973201) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows 8 for x64-based Systems (2973201) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows 8.1 for 32-bit Systems (2973201) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows 8.1 for 32-bit Systems (2973906) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows 8.1 for x64-based Systems (2973201) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows 8.1 for x64-based Systems (2973906) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 | ||
| Windows Server 2012 (2973201) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows Server 2012 R2 (2973201) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows Server 2012 R2 (2973906) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows RT and Windows RT 8.1 | ||
| Windows RT (2973201) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows RT 8.1 (2973201) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Server Core installation option | ||
| Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation) (2973201) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation) (2973201) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation) (2973201) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation) (2973201) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation) (2973201) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
| Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation) (2973906) | Important Elevation of Privilege | Important |
A vulnerability exists in the On-Screen Keyboard that could allow a local elevation of privilege.
To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2014-2781.
Microsoft has not identified any mitigating factors for this vulnerability.
Microsoft has not identified any workarounds for this vulnerability.
What is the scope of the vulnerability?
This is a local elevation of privilege vulnerability.
What causes the vulnerability?
The vulnerability is caused when the On-Screen keyboard is executed from within the context of a low integrity process.
What is On-Screen Keyboard (OSK)?
On-Screen Keyboard (OSK) is an Ease of Access tool in Microsoft Windows that allows users to move around their PC and enter text without having to use a physical, external keyboard. OSK displays a visual keyboard with all the standard keys, which is accessible using a touch screen, mouse or other pointing device.
What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do?
An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause an arbitrary program to execute at the same integrity level as the current user.
How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability?
To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would have to first use a vulnerability in a low integrity process to execute the On-Screen Keyboard and then have a method of uploading a specially crafted program to the target 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.
What does the update do?
The update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how some programs communicate with programs of a different integrity level. For more detailed information about the functionality changes that have been implemented with this update, see KBDLLHOOKSTRUCT structure and MSLLHOOKSTRUCT structure.
When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed?
No. Microsoft received information about this vulnerability through coordinated vulnerability disclosure.
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 when this security bulletin was originally issued.
Several resources are available to help administrators deploy security updates.
For information about these and other tools that are available, see Security Tools for IT Pros.
Reference Table
The following table contains the security update information for this software.
| Security update file names | For all supported 32-bit editions of Windows Vista:\ Windows6.0-KB2973201-x86.msu |
|---|---|
| \ | For all supported x64-based editions of Windows Vista:\ Windows6.0-KB2973201-x64.msu |
| Installation switches | See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 934307 |
| Restart requirement | Yes, you must restart your system after you apply this security update. |
| Removal information | WUSA.exe does not support uninstall of updates. To uninstall an update installed by WUSA, click Control Panel, and then click Security. Under Windows Update, click View installed updates and select from the list of updates. |
| File information | See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2973201 |
| Registry key verification | Note A registry key does not exist to validate the presence of this update. |
Reference Table
The following table contains the security update information for this software.
| Security update file names | For all supported 32-bit editions of Windows Server 2008:\ Windows6.0-KB2973201-x86.msu |
|---|---|
| \ | For all supported x64-based editions of Windows Server 2008:\ Windows6.0-KB2973201-x64.msu |
| \ | For all supported Itanium-based editions of Windows Server 2008:\ Windows6.0-KB2973201-ia64.msu |
| Installation switches | See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 934307 |
| Restart requirement | Yes, you must restart your system after you apply this security update. |
| Removal information | WUSA.exe does not support uninstall of updates. To uninstall an update installed by WUSA, click Control Panel, and then click Security. Under Windows Update, click View installed updates and select from the list of updates. |
| File information | See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2973201 |
| Registry key verification | Note A registry key does not exist to validate the presence of this update. |
Reference Table
The following table contains the security update information for this software.
| Security update file name | For all supported 32-bit editions of Windows 7:\ Windows6.1-KB2973201-x86.msu |
|---|---|
| \ | For all supported x64-based editions of Windows 7:\ Windows6.1-KB2973201-x64.msu |
| Installation switches | See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 934307 |
| Restart requirement | Yes, you must restart your system after you apply this security update. |
| Removal information | To uninstall an update installed by WUSA, use the /Uninstall setup switch or click Control Panel, click System and Security, and then under Windows Update, click View installed updates and select from the list of updates. |
| File information | See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2973201 |
| Registry key verification | Note A registry key does not exist to validate the presence of this update. |
Reference Table
The following table contains the security update information for this software.
| Security update file name | For all supported x64-based editions of Windows Server 2008 R2:\ Windows6.1-KB2973201-x64.msu |
|---|---|
| \ | For all supported Itanium-based editions of Windows Server 2008 R2:\ Windows6.1-KB2973201-ia64.msu |
| Installation switches | See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 934307 |
| Restart requirement | Yes, you must restart your system after you apply this security update. |
| Removal information | To uninstall an update installed by WUSA, use the /Uninstall setup switch or click Control Panel, click System and Security, and then under Windows Update, click View installed updates and select from the list of updates. |
| File information | See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2973201 |
| Registry key verification | Note A registry key does not exist to validate the presence of this update. |
Reference Table
The following table contains the security update information for this software.
| Security update file name | For all supported 32-bit editions of Windows 8:\ Windows8-RT-KB2973201-x86.msu |
|---|---|
| \ | For all supported x64-based editions of Windows 8:\ Windows8-RT-KB2973201-x64.msu |
| \ | For all supported 32-bit editions of Windows 8.1:\ Windows8.1-KB2973201-x86.msu |
| \ | For all supported x64-based editions of Windows 8.1:\ Windows8.1-KB2973201-x64.msu |
| Installation switches | See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 934307 |
| Restart requirement | Yes, you must restart your system after you apply this security update. |
| Removal information | To uninstall an update installed by WUSA, use the /Uninstall setup switch or click Control Panel, click System and Security, click Windows Update, and then under See also, click Installed updates and select from the list of updates. |
| File information | See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2973201 |
| Registry key verification | Note A registry key does not exist to validate the presence of this update. |
Reference Table
The following table contains the security update information for this software.
| Security update file name | For all supported editions of Windows Server 2012:\ Windows8-RT-KB2973201-x64.msu |
|---|---|
| \ | For all supported editions of Windows Server 2012 R2:\ Windows8.1-KB2973201-x64.msu |
| Installation switches | See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 934307 |
| Restart requirement | Yes, you must restart your system after you apply this security update. |
| Removal information | To uninstall an update installed by WUSA, use the /Uninstall setup switch or click Control Panel, click System and Security, click Windows Update, and then under See also, click Installed updates and select from the list of updates. |
| File information | See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2973201 |
| Registry key verification | Note A registry key does not exist to validate the presence of this update. |
Reference Table
The following table contains the security update information for this software.
| Deployment | These updates are available via Windows Update only. |
|---|---|
| Restart Requirement | Yes, you must restart your system after you apply this security update. |
| Removal Information | Click Control Panel, click System and Security, click Windows Update, and then under See also, click Installed updates and select from the list of updates. |
| File Information | See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2973201 |
Microsoft thanks the following for working with us to help protect customers:
To improve security protections for customers, Microsoft provides vulnerability information to major security software providers in advance of each monthly security update release. Security software providers can then use this vulnerability information to provide updated protections to customers via their security software or devices, such as antivirus, network-based intrusion detection systems, or host-based intrusion prevention systems. To determine whether active protections are available from security software providers, please go to the active protections websites provided by program partners, listed in Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP) Partners.
How to obtain help and support for this security update
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.
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