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Security Bulletin

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS06-073 - Critical

Vulnerability in Visual Studio 2005 Could Allow Remote Code Execution (925674)

Published: December 12, 2006

Version: 1.0

Summary

Who Should Read this Document: Customers who use Microsoft Visual Studio 2005

Impact of Vulnerability: Remote Code Execution

Maximum Severity Rating: Critical

Recommendation: Customers should apply the update immediately

Security Update Replacement: None

Caveats: Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 925674 documents the currently known issues that customers may experience when they install this security update. The article also documents recommended solutions for these issues. For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 925674.

Tested Software and Security Update Download Locations:

Affected Software:

  • Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 — Download the update
    • Visual Studio 2005 Standard Edition
    • Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition
    • Visual Studio 2005 Team Suite
    • Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition for Developers
    • Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition for Architects
    • Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition for Testers

Non-Affected Software:

  • Microsoft Visual Studio 2005
    • Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition
    • Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition
    • Visual C# Express Edition
    • Visual J# Express Edition
    • Visual Web Developer Express Edition
    • Visual Studio 2005 Tools For Office
    • Visual Studio 2005 Team Explorer
    • Visual Studio 2005 Team Foundation Dual-Server
    • Visual Studio 2005 Team Foundation Single Server
    • Visual Studio 2005 Team Foundation Proxy
    • Visual Studio 2005 Team Foundation Build
    • Visual Studio 2005 Premier Partner Edition
  • Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0 Service Pack 6
  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2002 Service Pack 1
  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 Service Pack 1

Note Not all versions of Visual Studio 2005 include the affected file. If you do not have wmiscriptutils.dll on your system you are not affected by this vulnerability.

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.

General Information

Executive Summary

Executive Summary:

This update resolves a public 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.

If a user is logged on with administrative user rights, 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. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

We recommend that customers apply the update immediately.

Severity Ratings and Vulnerability Identifiers:

Vulnerability Identifiers Impact of Vulnerability Visual Studio 2005
WMI Object Broker Vulnerability - CVE-2006-4704 Remote Code Execution\ Critical

Note By default, Internet Explorer on Windows Server 2003 runs in a restricted mode that is known as Enhanced Security Configuration. This mode mitigates this vulnerability. See the FAQ section for this security update for more information about Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration.

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.

What updates does this release replace?
This security update does not replace any prior security update.

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 EST MBSA 2.0
Visual Studio 2005 No Yes 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.

What is the Enterprise Update Scan Tool (EST)?
As part of an ongoing commitment to provide detection tools for bulletin-class security updates, Microsoft delivers a stand-alone detection tool whenever the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) and the Office Detection Tool (ODT) cannot detect whether the update is required for an MSRC release cycle. This stand-alone tool is called the Enterprise Update Scan Tool (EST) and is designed for enterprise administrators. When a version of the Enterprise Update Scan Tool is created for a specific bulletin, customers can run the tool from a command-line interface (CLI) and view the results of the XML output file. To help customers better utilize the tool, detailed documentation will be provided with the tool. There is also a version of the tool that offers an integrated experience for SMS administrators.

Can I use a version of the Enterprise Update Scan Tool (EST) to determine whether this update is required?
Yes. Microsoft has created a version of EST that will determine if you have to apply this update. For download links and more information about the version of EST that is being released this month, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 894193. SMS customers should review the following FAQ, “Can I use Systems Management Server (SMS) to determine whether this update is required?" for more information about SMS and EST.

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
Visual Studio 2005 Yes (With EST) 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.

Can I use SMS to determine if other programs are installed that have to be updated?
Yes. SMS can help detect if there are other programs installed that may have installed a version of the vulnerable component. SMS can search for the existence of the file wmiscriptutils.dll. Update all versions of wmiscriptutils.dll that are earlier than version 8.0.50727.236.

What are the known issues that customers may experience when they install this security update?
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 925674 documents the currently known issues that customers may experience when they install this security update. The article also documents recommended solutions for these issues. For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 925674.

Vulnerability Details

WMI Object Broker Vulnerability - CVE-2006-4704:

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the WMI Object Broker control that the WMI Wizard uses in Visual Studio 2005.An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by constructing a specially crafted Web page that could potentially allow remote code execution if a user viewed the Web page. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system.

Mitigating Factors for WMI Object Broker Vulnerability - CVE-2006-4704:

  • In a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a Web site that contains a Web page that is used to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised Web sites and Web sites that accept or host user-provided content or advertisements could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. In all cases, however, an attacker would have no way to force users to visit these Web sites. Instead, an attacker would have to persuade users to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link in an e-mail message or instant messenger message that takes users to the attacker's Web site.
  • By default, this ActiveX control is not included in the default allow-list for ActiveX controls in Internet Explorer 7. Only customers who have explicitly approved this control by using the ActiveX opt-in feature are at risk to attempts to exploit this vulnerability. However, if a customer has used this ActiveX control in a previous version of Internet Explorer, then this ActiveX control is enabled to work in Internet Explorer 7, even if the customer has not explicitly approved it using the ActiveX opt-in Feature.
  • An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
  • The Restricted sites zone helps reduce attacks that could try to exploit this vulnerability by preventing Active Scripting and ActiveX controls from being used when reading HTML e-mail. However, if a user clicks on a link within an e-mail they could still be vulnerable to this issue through the Web-based attack scenario.
     
    By default, all supported versions of Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Outlook Express open HTML e-mail messages in the Restricted sites zone. The Restricted sites zone helps reduce attacks that could try to exploit this vulnerability by preventing Active Scripting and ActiveX controls from being used when reading HTML e-mail. However, if a user clicks on a link within an e-mail they could still be vulnerable to this issue through the Web-based attack scenario.
  • By default, Internet Explorer on Windows Server 2003 runs in a restricted mode that is known as Enhanced Security Configuration. This mode sets the security level for the Internet zone to High. This is a mitigating factor for Web sites that have not been added to Internet Explorer Trusted sites zone. See the FAQ section of this security update for more information about Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration.

Workarounds for WMI Object Broker Vulnerability - CVE-2006-4704:

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 attempts to instantiate the WMI Object Broker control

    You can disable attempts to instantiate this ActiveX control in Internet Explorer by setting the kill bit for the control in the registry.

    Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

    For detailed steps that you can use to prevent a control from running in Internet Explorer, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 240797. Follow these steps in this article to create a Compatibility Flags value in the registry to prevent a COM object from being instantiated in Internet Explorer.

    To set the kill bit for a CLSID with a value of {7F5B7F63-F06F-4331-8A26-339E03C0AE3D} paste the following text in a text editor such as Notepad. Then, save the file by using the .reg file name extension.

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\ActiveX Compatibility\{7F5B7F63-F06F-4331-8A26-339E03C0AE3D}]
    "Compatibility Flags"=dword:00000400

    You can apply this .reg file to individual systems by double-clicking it. You can also apply it across domains by using Group Policy. For more information about Group Policy, visit the following Microsoft Web sites:

    Group Policy collection

    What is Group Policy Object Editor?

    Core Group Policy tools and settings

    Note: You must restart Internet Explorer for your changes to take effect.

    Impact of Workaround: The WMI Wizard in Visual Studio 2005 may no longer display or function correctly.

  • Configure Internet Explorer to prompt before running ActiveX Controls or disable ActiveX Controls in the Internet and Local intranet security zone

    You can help protect against this vulnerability by changing your Internet Explorer settings to prompt before running ActiveX controls. To do this, follow these steps:

    1. In Internet Explorer, click Internet Options on the Tools menu.
    2. Click the Security tab.
    3. Click Internet, and then click Custom Level.
    4. Under Settings, in the ActiveX controls and plug-ins section, under Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins, click Prompt or Disable, and then click OK.
    5. Click Local intranet, and then click Custom Level.
    6. Under Settings, in the ActiveX controls and plug-ins section, under Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins, click Prompt or Disable, and then click OK.
    7. Click OK two times to return to Internet Explorer.

    Impact of Workaround: There are side effects to prompting before running ActiveX controls. Many Web sites that are on the Internet or on an intranet use ActiveX to provide additional functionality. For example, an online e-commerce site or banking site may use ActiveX controls to provide menus, ordering forms, or even account statements. Prompting before running ActiveX controls is a global setting that affects all Internet and intranet sites. You will be prompted frequently when you enable this workaround. For each prompt, if you feel you trust the site that you are visiting, click Yes to run ActiveX controls. If you do not want to be prompted for all these sites, use the steps outlined in "Add sites that you trust to the Internet Explorer Trusted sites zone”.

    Add sites that you trust to the Internet Explorer Trusted sites zone

    After you set Internet Explorer to require a prompt before it runs ActiveX controls and Active Scripting in the Internet zone and in the Local intranet zone, you can add sites that you trust to the Internet Explorer Trusted sites zone. This will allow you to continue to use trusted Web sites exactly as you do today, while helping to protect you from this attack on untrusted sites. We recommend that you add only sites that you trust to the Trusted sites zone.

    To do this, follow these steps:

    1. In Internet Explorer, click Tools, click Internet Options, and then click the Security tab.
    2. In the Select a Web content zone to specify its current security settings box, click Trusted Sites, and then click Sites.
    3. If you want to add sites that do not require an encrypted channel, click to clear the Require server verification (https:) for all sites in this zone check box.
    4. In the Add this Web site to the zone box, type the URL of a site that you trust, and then click Add.
    5. Repeat these steps for each site that you want to add to the zone.
    6. Click OK two times to accept the changes and return to Internet Explorer.

    Note Add any sites that you trust not to take malicious action on your computer. Two in particular that you may want to add are "*.windowsupdate.microsoft.com" and “*.update.microsoft.com” (without the quotation marks). These are the sites that will host the update, and it requires an ActiveX Control to install the update.

  • Set Internet and Local intranet security zone settings to “High” to prompt before running ActiveX Controls and Active Scripting in these zones

    You can help protect against this vulnerability by changing your settings for the Internet security zone to prompt before running ActiveX controls. You can do this by setting your browser security to High.

    To raise the browsing security level in Microsoft Internet Explorer, follow these steps:

    1. On the Internet Explorer Tools menu, click Internet Options.
    2. In the Internet Options dialog box, click the Security tab, and then click the Internet icon.
    3. Under Security level for this zone, move the slider to High. This sets the security level for all Web sites you visit to High.

    Note If no slider is visible, click Default Level, and then move the slider to High.

    Note Setting the level to High may cause some Web sites to work incorrectly. If you have difficulty using a Web site after you change this setting, and you are sure the site is safe to use, you can add that site to your list of trusted sites. This will allow the site to work correctly even with the security setting set to High.

    Impact of Workaround: There are side effects to prompting before running ActiveX controls. Many Web sites that are on the Internet or on an intranet use ActiveX to provide additional functionality. For example, an online e-commerce site or banking site may use ActiveX controls to provide menus, ordering forms, or even account statements. Prompting before running ActiveX controls is a global setting that affects all Internet and intranet sites. You will be prompted frequently when you enable this workaround. For each prompt, if you feel you trust the site that you are visiting, click Yes to run ActiveX controls. If you do not want to be prompted for all these sites, use the steps outlined in "Add sites that you trust to the Internet Explorer Trusted sites zone”.

    Add sites that you trust to the Internet Explorer Trusted sites zone

    After you set Internet Explorer to require a prompt before it runs ActiveX controls and Active Scripting in the Internet zone and in the Local intranet zone, you can add sites that you trust to the Internet Explorer Trusted sites zone. This will allow you to continue to use trusted Web sites exactly as you do today, while helping to protect you from this attack on untrusted sites. We recommend that you add only sites that you trust to the Trusted sites zone.

    To do this, follow these steps:

    1. In Internet Explorer, click Tools, click Internet Options, and then click the Security tab.
    2. In the Select a Web content zone to specify its current security settings box, click Trusted Sites, and then click Sites.
    3. If you want to add sites that do not require an encrypted channel, click to clear the Require server verification (https:) for all sites in this zone check box.
    4. In the Add this Web site to the zone box, type the URL of a site that you trust, and then click Add.
    5. Repeat these steps for each site that you want to add to the zone.
    6. Click OK two times to accept the changes and return to Internet Explorer.

    Note Add any sites that you trust not to take malicious action on your computer. Two in particular that you may want to add are "*.windowsupdate.microsoft.com" and “*.update.microsoft.com” (without the quotation marks). These are the sites that will host the update, and it requires an ActiveX Control to install the update.

FAQ for WMI Object Broker Vulnerability - CVE-2006-4704:

What is the scope of the vulnerability?
This is a remote code execution 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.

What causes the vulnerability?
Improper validation of controls instantiated by WMI Object Broker causes the vulnerability.

What is WMI Object Broker?
WMI Object Broker is an ActiveX control that the WMI Wizard uses in Visual Studio 2005. When a user invokes the WMI Wizard feature of Visual Studio 2005, the wizard internally uses WMI Object Broker to instantiate other controls.

What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do?
An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

Who could exploit the vulnerability?
In a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker would have to host a Web site that contains a Web page that is used to attempt to exploit this vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit a specially crafted Web site. Instead, an attacker would have to persuade them to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link that takes them to the attacker's site.

What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
This vulnerability requires that a user is logged on and visits a Web site for any malicious action to occur. Therefore, any systems that have Visual Studio 2005 installed where Internet Explorer is used frequently, such as workstations or terminal servers, are at the most risk from this vulnerability.

I am running Internet Explorer 7. Does this mitigate this vulnerability?
Yes. Customers who are running Internet Explorer 7 with default settings, are not at risk until the WMI Object Broker control has been activated through the ActiveX opt-in feature in the Internet Zone. However, if a customer has used this ActiveX control in a previous version of Internet Explorer, then this ActiveX control is enabled to work in Internet Explorer 7, even if the customer has not explicitly approved it using the ActiveX opt-in feature.

What is the ActiveX opt-in feature in Internet Explorer 7?
Internet Explorer 7 includes an ActiveX opt-in feature, which means that nearly all pre-installed ActiveX controls are off by default. Users are prompted by the Information Bar before they can access a previously installed ActiveX Control that has not yet been used on the Internet. This enables a user to permit or deny access on a control-by-control basis. For more information about this and other new features see the Windows Internet Explorer 7 features page.

I am running Internet Explorer on Windows Server 2003. Does this mitigate this vulnerability?
Yes. By default, Internet Explorer on Windows Server 2003 runs in a restricted mode that is known as Enhanced Security Configuration. This mode sets the security level for the Internet zone to High. This is a mitigating factor for Web sites that have not been added to Internet Explorer Trusted sites zone. See the FAQ section of this security update for more information about Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration.

What is Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration?
Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration is a group of preconfigured Internet Explorer settings that reduce the likelihood of a user or administrator downloading and running malicious Web content on a server. Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration reduces this threat by modifying numerous security-related settings, including Security and Advanced tab settings in Internet Options. Some of the key modifications include:

  • Security level for the Internet zone is set to High. This setting disables scripts, ActiveX components, Microsoft virtual machine (Microsoft VM) HTML content, and file downloads.
  • Automatic detection of intranet sites is disabled. This setting assigns all intranet Web sites and all Universal Naming Convention (UNC) paths that are not explicitly listed in the Local intranet zone to the Internet zone.
  • Install on Demand and non-Microsoft browser extensions are disabled. This setting prevents Web pages from automatically installing components and prevents non-Microsoft extensions from running.
  • Multimedia content is disabled. This setting prevents music, animations, and video clips from running.

For more information regarding Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration, please consult the Managing Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration guide, which can be found at the following Web site.

What does the update do?
The update removes the vulnerability by modifying the way that the WMI Object Broker instantiates other controls.

When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed?

Yes. This vulnerability has been publicly disclosed. It has been assigned Common Vulnerability and Exposure number CVE-2006-4704.

When this security bulletin was issued, had Microsoft received any reports that this vulnerability was being exploited?
Yes. This security update addresses the vulnerability that is currently being exploited. The vulnerability that has been addressed has been assigned the Common Vulnerability and Exposure number CVE-2006-4704.

Security Update Information

Affected Software:

For information about the specific security update for your affected software, click the appropriate link:

Visual Studio 2005

Prerequisites
This security update requires Microsoft Visual Studio 2005.

Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1 must be installed. To install the latest version of Windows Installer, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

Windows Installer 3.1 Redistributable (v2)

Inclusion in Future Service Packs:
The update for this issue will be included in a future service pack.

Installation Information

This security update supports the following setup switches.

Switch Description
/help Displays the command-line options.
Setup Modes
**/q[n b r f]** Sets user interface level. n - No user interaction b - Basic user interaction r - Reduced user interaction f - Full user interaction (default)
Install Options
/extract [directory] Extract the package to the specified directory.
Restart Options
/norestart Does not restart when installation has completed.
/forcerestart Restarts the computer after installation and forces other applications to close at shutdown without saving open files first.
/promptrestart Display a dialog box prompting the local user to allow a restart.
Logging Options
**/l[i w e a r u c m o p v x + ! *] <LogFile>** i - Status messages w - Nonfatal warnings e - All error messages a - Start up of actions r - Action-specific records u - User requests c - Initial UI parameters m - Out-of-memory or fatal exit information o - Out-of-disk-space messages p - Terminal properties v - Verbose output x - Extra debugging information + - Append to existing log file ! - Flush each line to the log * - Log all information, except for v and x options
/log <LogFile> Equivalent of /l* <LogFile>

Note You can combine these switches into one command. For more information about the supported installation switches, see Windows Installer Command Line Options. For more information about Windows Installer, visit the Windows Installer MSDN web site.

Deployment Information

To install the security update without any user intervention, use the following command at a command prompt:

VS80-KB925674-x86.exe /qn

Note Use of the /qn switch will suppress all messages. This includes suppressing failure messages. Administrators should use one of the supported methods to verify the installation was successful when they use the /qn switch.

To install the security update without forcing the system to restart, use the following applicable command at a command prompt:

VS80-KB925674-x86.exe /norestart

For information about how to deploy this security update by using Software Update Services, visit the Software Update Services Web site. For more information about how to deploy this security update using Windows Server Update Services, visit the Windows Server Update Services Web site. This security update will also be available through the Microsoft Update Web site.

Restart Requirement In some cases, this update does not require a restart. If the required files are being used, this update will require a restart. If this behavior occurs, a message appears that advises you to restart.

To help reduce the possibility that a restart will be required, close all instances of Visual Studio 2005 prior to installing the security update. For more information about the reasons why you may be prompted to restart your computer, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 887012.

Removal Information To remove this update, use the Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel.

File Information The English version of this update has the file attributes (or later) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

Microsoft Visual Studio 2005

File Name Version Date Time Size
wmiscriptutils.dll 8.0.50727.236 28-Oct-2006 08:46 54,272

Verifying Update Installation

File Version Information

Note Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.

  1. Click Start, and then click Search.
  2. In the Search Results pane, click All files and folders under Search Companion.
  3. In the All or part of the file name box, type a file name from the appropriate file information table, and then click Search.
  4. In the list of files, right-click a file name from the appropriate file information table, and then click Properties.
  5. On the Version tab, determine the version of the file that is installed on your computer by comparing it to the version that is documented in the appropriate file information table. Note Attributes other than file version may change during installation. Comparing other file attributes to the information in the file information table is not a supported method of verifying the update installation. Also, in certain cases, files may be renamed during installation. If the file or version information is not present, use one of the other available methods to verify update installation.

Other Information

Acknowledgments

Microsoft thanks the following for working with us to help protect customers:

Obtaining Other Security Updates:

Updates for other security issues are available at the following locations:

Support:

  • Customers in the U.S. and Canada can receive technical support from Microsoft Product Support Services at 1-866-PCSAFETY. There is no charge for support calls that are associated with security updates.
  • International customers can receive support from their local Microsoft subsidiaries. There is no charge for support that is associated with security updates. For more information about how to contact Microsoft for support issues, visit the International Support Web site.

Security Resources:

Software Update Services:

By using Microsoft Software Update Services (SUS), administrators can quickly and reliably deploy the latest critical updates and security updates to Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003-based servers, and to desktop systems that are running Windows 2000 Professional or Windows XP Professional.

For more information about how to deploy security updates by using Software Update Services, visit the Software Update Services Web site.

Windows Server Update Services:

By using Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), administrators can quickly and reliably deploy the latest critical updates and security updates for Windows 2000 operating systems and later, Office XP and later, Exchange Server 2003, and SQL Server 2000 onto Windows 2000 and later operating systems.

For more information about how to deploy security updates using Windows Server Update Services, visit the Windows Server Update Services Web site.

Systems Management Server:

Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) delivers a highly configurable enterprise solution for managing updates. By using SMS, administrators can identify Windows-based systems that require security updates and can perform controlled deployment of these updates throughout the enterprise with minimal disruption to end users. For more information about how administrators can use SMS 2003 to deploy security updates, visit the SMS 2003 Security Patch Management Web site. SMS 2.0 users can also use Software Updates Service Feature Pack to help deploy security updates. For information about SMS, visit the SMS Web site.

Note SMS uses the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer, the Microsoft Office Detection Tool, and the Enterprise Update Scan Tool to provide broad support for security bulletin update detection and deployment. Some software updates may not be detected by these tools. Administrators can use the inventory capabilities of the SMS in these cases to target updates to specific systems. For more information about this procedure, visit the following Web site. Some security updates require administrative rights following a restart of the system. Administrators can use the Elevated Rights Deployment Tool (available in the SMS 2003 Administration Feature Pack and in the SMS 2.0 Administration Feature Pack) to install these updates.

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 (December 12, 2006): Bulletin published.

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