Security Bulletin
Microsoft Security Bulletin MS10-086 - Moderate
Vulnerability in Windows Shared Cluster Disks Could Allow Tampering (2294255)
Published: October 12, 2010 | Updated: November 10, 2010
Version: 1.1
General Information
Executive Summary
This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in Windows Server 2008 R2 when used as a shared failover cluster. The vulnerability could allow data tampering on the administrative shares of failover cluster disks. By default, Windows Server 2008 R2 servers are not affected by this vulnerability. This vulnerability only applies to the cluster disks used in a failover cluster.
This security update is rated Moderate for all supported editions of Windows Server 2008 R2. For more information, see the subsection, Affected and Non-Affected Software, in this section.
The security update addresses this vulnerability by changing the way the Microsoft Cluster Service (MSCS) user interface sets permissions on administrative shares when adding or creating new shared cluster disks. For more information about the vulnerability, see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) subsection for the specific vulnerability entry under the next section, Vulnerability Information.
Recommendation. Microsoft recommends that customers consider applying the security update using update management software, or by checking for updates using the Microsoft Update service.
See also the section, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance, later in this bulletin.
Known Issues. None
Affected and Non-Affected Software
The following software have 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, visit Microsoft Support Lifecycle.
Affected Software
| Operating System | Maximum Security Impact | Aggregate Severity Rating | Bulletins Replaced by this Update |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems* | Tampering | Moderate | None |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems | Tampering | Moderate | None |
*Server Core installation affected. This update applies, with the same severity rating, to supported editions of Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 as indicated, whether or not installed using the Server Core installation option. For more information on this installation option, see the TechNet articles, Managing a Server Core Installation and Servicing a Server Core Installation. Note that the Server Core installation option does not apply to certain editions of Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2; see Compare Server Core Installation Options.
Non-Affected Software
| Operating System |
|---|
| Windows XP Service Pack 3 |
| Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2 |
| Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 |
| Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2 |
| Windows Server 2003 with SP2 for Itanium-based Systems |
| Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 |
| Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 1 and Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 2 |
| Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems and Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 |
| Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems and Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 |
| Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems and Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems Service Pack 2 |
| Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems |
| Windows 7 for x64-based Systems |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Related to This Security Update
Why was this bulletin revised on November 10, 2010?
Microsoft revised this bulletin to indicate that the update does in fact correct permissions on existing shared cluster disks. Previously, the bulletin had stated that the update does not correct permissions on existing cluster disks. This is an informational change only. Customers who have already successfully updated their systems do not need to take any action.
Does this security update correct permissions on existing shared cluster disks?
Yes, installing the security update on all cluster nodes and restarting the computers does correct the permissions on existing shared cluster disks.
Where are the file information details?
Refer to the reference tables in the Security Update Deployment section for the location of the file information details.
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 have been tested to determine which releases are affected. Other releases are past their support life cycle. For more information about the product lifecycle, visit the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Web site.
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 Lifecycle Supported Service Packs.
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, visit the Microsoft Worldwide Information Web site, 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.
Vulnerability Information
Severity Ratings and Vulnerability Identifiers
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 October bulletin summary. For more information, see Microsoft Exploitability Index.
| Affected Software | Permissions on New Cluster Disks Vulnerability - CVE-2010-3223 | Aggregate Severity Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems* | Moderate \ Tampering | Moderate |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems | Moderate \ Tampering | Moderate |
*Server Core installation affected. This update applies, with the same severity rating, to supported editions of Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 as indicated, whether or not installed using the Server Core installation option. For more information on this installation option, see the TechNet articles, Managing a Server Core Installation and Servicing a Server Core Installation. Note that the Server Core installation option does not apply to certain editions of Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2; see Compare Server Core Installation Options.
Permissions on New Cluster Disks Vulnerability - CVE-2010-3223
A tampering vulnerability exists in the way the Failover Cluster Manager user interface handles permissions on shared cluster disks. This vulnerability exists because the Failover Cluster Manager uses unsecured default permissions when adding disks to a cluster. When an administrator adds a disk to a shared cluster, the Failover Cluster Manager sets permissions on the shared cluster disk in a way that potentially provides unauthorized users (everyone) with read/write/delete access to the administrative shares on the failover cluster disk.
To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2010-3223.
Mitigating Factors for Permissions on New Cluster Disks Vulnerability - CVE-2010-3223
Microsoft has not identified any mitigating factors for this vulnerability.
Workarounds for Permissions on New Cluster Disks Vulnerability - CVE-2010-3223
Workaround refers to a setting or configuration change that does not correct the underlying vulnerability but would help block known attack vectors before you apply the update. Microsoft has tested the following workarounds and states in the discussion whether a workaround reduces functionality:
- After creating a cluster disk administrative share, manually configure its Access Control List (ACL) to reflect the access permissions appropriate for the environment. For Example, change the permissions on administrative shares from Everyone - Full Control to Administrators - Full Control.
- Server administrators can also choose to re-cluster the affected disks after the update is applied. This will properly set the permissions on the new shared cluster disks.
FAQ for Permissions on New Cluster Disks Vulnerability - CVE-2010-3223
What is the scope of the vulnerability?
This is a tampering vulnerability. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could arbitrarily add, change, delete, or read data on an affected file system.
What causes the vulnerability?
This vulnerability is caused by the way Windows sets permissions by default when adding a disk to a disk cluster.
What are administrative shares used for?
Administrative shares are the default network shares created by Windows operating systems. By default, these shares allow anyone who is a member of the Administrators group to manage the root directory of disks that are attached to the system.
What is the component affected by this vulnerability?
The component affected by this vulnerability is Microsoft Cluster Service (MSCS).
What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do?
An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could add, change, delete, or read data on the administrative shares of an affected cluster disk configuration.
How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability?
An attacker could remotely access the file system of a cluster disk administrative share.
What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Any systems where failover clustering has been enabled are primarily at risk from this vulnerability. Servers that are not part of a failover cluster are not affected by this vulnerability and are not offered the update.
What does the update do?
This update addresses this vulnerability by changing the way that the Microsoft Cluster Service user interface sets permissions on administrative shares when adding new shared cluster disks.
For more information, see the FAQ entry, "Does this security update correct permissions on existing shared cluster disks?" in the earlier section, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Related to This Security Update.
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.
Update Information
Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance
Manage the software and security updates you need to deploy to the servers, desktop, and mobile systems in your organization. For more information see the TechNet Update Management Center. The Microsoft TechNet Security Web site provides additional information about security in Microsoft products.
Security updates are available from Microsoft Update and Windows Update. Security updates are also available from the Microsoft Download Center. You can find them most easily by doing a keyword search for "security update."
Finally, security updates can be downloaded from the Microsoft Update Catalog. The Microsoft Update Catalog provides a searchable catalog of content made available through Windows Update and Microsoft Update, including security updates, drivers and service packs. By searching using the security bulletin number (such as, "MS07-036"), you can add all of the applicable updates to your basket (including different languages for an update), and download to the folder of your choosing. For more information about the Microsoft Update Catalog, see the Microsoft Update Catalog FAQ.
Detection and Deployment Guidance
Microsoft provides detection and deployment guidance for security updates. This guidance contains recommendations and information that can help IT professionals understand how to use various tools for detection and deployment of security updates. For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 961747.
Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) allows administrators to scan local and remote systems for missing security updates as well as common security misconfigurations. For more information about MBSA, visit Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer.
The following table provides the MBSA detection summary for this security update.
| Software | MBSA |
|---|---|
| Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems | Yes |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems | Yes |
Note For customers using legacy software not supported by the latest release of MBSA, Microsoft Update, and Windows Server Update Services, please visit Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer and reference the Legacy Product Support section on how to create comprehensive security update detection with legacy tools.
Windows Server Update Services
Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) enables information technology administrators to deploy the latest Microsoft product updates to computers that are running the Windows operating system. For more information about how to deploy security updates using Windows Server Update Services, see the TechNet article, Windows Server Update Services.
Systems Management Server
The following table provides the SMS detection and deployment summary for this security update.
| Software | SMS 2.0 | SMS 2003 with SUIT | SMS 2003 with ITMU | Configuration Manager 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems | No | No | Yes | Yes |
For SMS 2.0 and SMS 2003, the Security Update Inventory Tool (SUIT) can be used by SMS to detect security updates. See also Downloads for Systems Management Server 2.0.
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, see SMS 2003 Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates. For more information about SMS scanning tools, see SMS 2003 Software Update Scanning Tools. See also Downloads for Systems Management Server 2003.
System Center Configuration Manager 2007 uses WSUS 3.0 for detection of updates. For more information about Configuration Manager 2007 Software Update Management, visit System Center Configuration Manager 2007.
For more information about SMS, visit the SMS Web site.
For more detailed information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 910723: Summary list of monthly detection and deployment guidance articles.
Update Compatibility Evaluator and Application Compatibility Toolkit
Updates often write to the same files and registry settings required for your applications to run. This can trigger incompatibilities and increase the time it takes to deploy security updates. You can streamline testing and validating Windows updates against installed applications with the Update Compatibility Evaluator components included with Application Compatibility Toolkit.
The Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) contains the necessary tools and documentation to evaluate and mitigate application compatibility issues before deploying Microsoft Windows Vista, a Windows Update, a Microsoft Security Update, or a new version of Windows Internet Explorer in your environment.
Security Update Deployment
Affected Software
For information about the specific security update for your affected software, click the appropriate link:
Windows Server 2008 R2 (all editions)
Reference Table
The following table contains the security update information for this software. You can find additional information in the subsection, Deployment Information, in this section.
| Inclusion in Future Service Packs | The update for this issue will be included in a future service pack or update rollup |
|---|---|
| Deployment | |
| Installing without user intervention | For all supported x64-based editions of Windows Server 2008 R2 with a Microsoft Cluster Service (MSCS) configuration:\ windows6.1-kb2294255-x64.msu /quiet |
| For all supported Itanium-based editions of Windows Server 2008 R2 with a Microsoft Cluster Service (MSCS) configuration:\ windows6.1-kb2294255-ia64.msu /quiet | |
| Installing without restarting | For all supported x64-based editions of Windows Server 2008 R2 with a Microsoft Cluster Service (MSCS) configuration:\ windows6.1-kb2294255-x64.msu /quiet /norestart |
| For all supported Itanium-based editions of Windows Server 2008 R2 with a Microsoft Cluster Service (MSCS) configuration:\ windows6.1-kb2294255-ia64.msu /quiet /norestart | |
| Further information | See the subsection, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance |
| Restart Requirement | |
| Restart required? | Yes, you must restart your system after you apply this security update. |
| HotPatching | Not applicable. |
| 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 2294255 |
| Registry Key Verification | Note A registry key does not exist to validate the presence of this update. |
Deployment Information
Installing the Update
When you install this security update, the installer checks whether one or more of the files that are being updated on your system have previously been updated by a Microsoft hotfix.
For more information about the terminology that appears in this bulletin, such as hotfix, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 824684.
This security update supports the following setup switches.
| Switch | Description |
|---|---|
| /?, /h, /help | Displays help on supported switches. |
| /quiet | Suppresses the display of status or error messages. |
| /norestart | When combined with /quiet, the system will not be restarted after installation even if a restart is required to complete installation. |
| /warnrestart:<seconds> | When combined with /quiet, the installer will warn the user before initiating restart. |
| /promptrestart | When combined with /quiet, the installer will prompt before initiating restart. |
| /forcerestart | When combined with /quiet, the installer will forcefully close applications and initiate restart. |
| /log:<file name> | Enables logging to specified file. |
| /extract:<destination> | Extracts the package contents to the destination folder. |
| /uninstall /kb:<KB Number> | Uninstalls the security update. |
Note For more information about the wusa.exe installer, see "Windows Update Stand-alone Installer" in the TechNet article, Miscellaneous Changes in Windows 7.
Verifying That the Update Has Been Applied
Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
To verify that a security update has been applied to an affected system, you may be able to use the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) tool. See the section, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance, earlier in this bulletin for more information.
File Version Verification
Because there are several editions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your system. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.
- Click Start and then enter an update file name in the Start Search box.
- When the file appears under Programs, right-click the file name and click Properties.
- On the General tab, compare the file size with the file information tables provided in the bulletin KB article.
- You can also click the Details tab and compare information, such as file version and date modified, with the file information tables provided in the bulletin KB article.
- Finally, you can also click the Previous Versions tab and compare file information for the previous version of the file with the file information for the new, or updated, version of the file.
Other Information
Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP)
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 visit the active protections Web sites provided by program partners, listed in Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP) Partners.
Support
- Customers in the U.S. and Canada can receive technical support from Security Support or 1-866-PCSAFETY. There is no charge for support calls that are associated with security updates. For more information about available support options, see Microsoft Help and Support.
- 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.
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 (October 12, 2010): Bulletin published.
- V1.1 (November 10, 2010): Added an update FAQ to explain that this update in fact corrects the permissions on existing shared cluster disks. This is an informational change only. Customers who have already successfully updated their systems do not need to take any action.
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