Security Bulletin
Microsoft Security Bulletin MS13-065 - Important
Vulnerability in ICMPv6 could allow Denial of Service (2868623)
Published: August 13, 2013
Version: 1.0
General Information
Executive Summary
This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerability could allow a denial of service if the attacker sends a specially crafted ICMP packet to the target system.
This security update is rated Important for all supported editions of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 8, Windows Server 2012, and Windows RT. For more information, see the subsection, Affected and Non-Affected Software, in this section.
The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how the Windows TCP/IP stack allocates memory while processing specially crafted ICMPv6 packets. 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. Most customers have automatic updating enabled and will not need to take any action because this security update will be downloaded and installed automatically. Customers who have not enabled automatic updating need to check for updates and install this update manually. For information about specific configuration options in automatic updating, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 294871.
For administrators and enterprise installations, or end users who want to install this security update manually 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.
See also the section, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance, later in this bulletin.
Knowledge Base Article
| Knowledge Base Article | 2868623 |
|---|---|
| File information | Yes |
| SHA1/SHA2 hashes | Yes |
| Known issues | Yes |
Affected and Non-Affected Software
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 (2868623) | Denial of Service | Important | 2845690 in MS13-049 |
| Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 2 (2868623) | Denial of Service | Important | 2845690 in MS13-049 |
| Windows Server 2008 | |||
| Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (2868623) | Denial of Service | Important | 2845690 in MS13-049 |
| Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (2868623) | Denial of Service | Important | 2845690 in MS13-049 |
| Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems Service Pack 2 (2868623) | Denial of Service | Important | 2845690 in MS13-049 |
| Windows 7 | |||
| Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1 (2868623) | Denial of Service | Important | 2845690 in MS13-049 |
| Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (2868623) | Denial of Service | Important | 2845690 in MS13-049 |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 | |||
| Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (2868623) | Denial of Service | Important | 2845690 in MS13-049 |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems Service Pack 1 (2868623) | Denial of Service | Important | 2845690 in MS13-049 |
| Windows 8 | |||
| Windows 8 for 32-bit Systems (2868623) | Denial of Service | Important | 2845690 in MS13-049 |
| Windows 8 for 64-bit Systems (2868623) | Denial of Service | Important | 2845690 in MS13-049 |
| Windows Server 2012 | |||
| Windows Server 2012 (2868623) | Denial of Service | Important | 2845690 in MS13-049 |
| Windows RT | |||
| Windows RT[1](2868623) | Denial of Service | Important | 2845690 in MS13-049 |
| Server Core installation option | |||
| Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation) (2868623) | Denial of Service | Important | 2845690 in MS13-049 |
| Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation) (2868623) | Denial of Service | Important | 2845690 in MS13-049 |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation) (2868623) | Denial of Service | Important | 2845690 in MS13-049 |
| Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation) (2868623) | Denial of Service | Important | 2845690 in MS13-049 |
[1]This update is available via Windows Update.
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 |
Update FAQ
MS13-064 and MS13-065 both address vulnerabilities leveraging ICMP. Are these security updates related?
No. The security updates are not related. Customers should apply the updates for the software installed on their systems.
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.
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 August bulletin summary. For more information, see Microsoft Exploitability Index.
| Affected Software | ICMPv6 Vulnerability - CVE-2013-3183 | Aggregate Severity Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Vista | ||
| Windows Vista Service Pack 2 | Important Denial of Service | Important |
| Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 2 | Important Denial of Service | Important |
| Windows Server 2008 | ||
| Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 | Important Denial of Service | Important |
| Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 | Important Denial of Service | Important |
| Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems Service Pack 2 | Important Denial of Service | Important |
| Windows 7 | ||
| Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1 | Important Denial of Service | Important |
| Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 | Important Denial of Service | Important |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 | ||
| Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 | Important Denial of Service | Important |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems Service Pack 1 | Important Denial of Service | Important |
| Windows 8 | ||
| Windows 8 for 32-bit Systems | Important Denial of Service | Important |
| Windows 8 for 64-bit Systems | Important Denial of Service | Important |
| Windows Server 2012 | ||
| Windows Server 2012 | Important Denial of Service | Important |
| Windows RT | ||
| Windows RT | Important Denial of Service | Important |
| Server Core installation option | ||
| Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation) | Important Denial of Service | Important |
| Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation) | Important Denial of Service | Important |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation) | Important Denial of Service | Important |
| Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation) | Important Denial of Service | Important |
ICMPv6 Vulnerability - CVE-2013-3183
A denial of service vulnerability exists in the Windows TCP/IP stack that could cause the target system to stop responding until restarted. The vulnerability is caused when the TCP/IP stack does not properly allocate memory for incoming ICMPv6 packets.
To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2013-3183.
Mitigating Factors
Mitigation refers to a setting, common configuration, or general best-practice, existing in a default state, that could reduce the severity of exploitation of a vulnerability. The following mitigating factors may be helpful in your situation:
- Firewall best practices and standard default firewall configurations can help protect networks from attacks that originate outside the enterprise perimeter. Best practices recommend that systems connected directly to the Internet have a minimal number of ports exposed.
Workarounds
Microsoft has not identified any workarounds for this vulnerability.
FAQ
What is the scope of the vulnerability?
This is a denial of service vulnerability.
What causes the vulnerability?
The vulnerability is caused when the Windows TCP/IP stack improperly handles memory allocation while processing specially crafted ICMPv6 packets.
What is Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP)?
Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) is an error reporting and diagnostic utility and is considered a required part of any IP implementation. For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 170292.
What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do?
An unauthenticated attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause the target system to stop responding until restarted.
How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability?
An unauthenticated attacker could send specially crafted ICMPv6 packets to the target system.
What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Any computer running an affected version of Microsoft Windows is at risk from the vulnerability.
What does the update do?
The update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how the Windows TCP/IP stack allocates memory while processing specially crafted ICMPv6 packets.
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
Several resources are available to help administrators deploy security updates.
- Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) lets administrators scan local and remote systems for missing security updates and common security misconfigurations.
- Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), Systems Management Server (SMS), and System Center Configuration Manager help administrators distribute security updates.
- The Update Compatibility Evaluator components included with Application Compatibility Toolkit aid in streamlining the testing and validation of Windows updates against installed applications.
For information about these and other tools that are available, see Security Tools for IT Pros.
Security Update Deployment
Affected Software
For information about the specific security update for your affected software, click the appropriate link:
Windows Vista (all editions)
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-KB2868623-x86.msu |
|---|---|
| For all supported x64-based editions of Windows Vista:\ Windows6.0-KB2868623-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 2868623 |
| Registry key verification | Note A registry key does not exist to validate the presence of this update. |
Windows Server 2008 (all editions)
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-KB2868623-x86.msu |
|---|---|
| For all supported x64-based editions of Windows Server 2008:\ Windows6.0-KB2868623-x64.msu | |
| For all supported Itanium-based editions of Windows Server 2008:\ Windows6.0-KB2868623-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 2868623 |
| Registry key verification | Note A registry key does not exist to validate the presence of this update. |
Windows 7 (all editions)
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-KB2868623-x86.msu |
|---|---|
| For all supported x64-based editions of Windows 7:\ Windows6.1-KB2868623-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 2868623 |
| Registry key verification | Note A registry key does not exist to validate the presence of this update. |
Windows Server 2008 R2 (all editions)
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-KB2868623-x64.msu |
|---|---|
| For all supported Itanium-based editions of Windows Server 2008 R2:\ Windows6.1-KB2868623-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 2868623 |
| Registry key verification | Note A registry key does not exist to validate the presence of this update. |
Windows 8 (all editions)
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-KB2868623-x86.msu |
|---|---|
| For all supported 64-bit editions of Windows 8:\ Windows8-RT-KB2868623-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 2868623 |
| Registry key verification | Note A registry key does not exist to validate the presence of this update. |
Windows Server 2012 (all editions)
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-KB2868623-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 2868623 |
| Registry key verification | Note A registry key does not exist to validate the presence of this update. |
Windows RT (all editions)
The following table contains the security update information for this software.
| Deployment | This update is 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 2868623 |
Other Information
Acknowledgments
Microsoft thanks the following for working with us to help protect customers:
- Basil Gabriel of Symantec for reporting the ICMPv6 Vulnerability (CVE-2013-3183)
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 go to the active protections websites provided by program partners, listed in Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP) Partners.
Support
How to obtain help and support for this security update
- Help installing updates: Support for Microsoft Update
- Security solutions for IT professionals: TechNet Security Troubleshooting and Support
- Help protect your computer that is running Windows from viruses and malware: Virus Solution and Security Center
- Local support according to your country: International Support
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 (August 13, 2013): Bulletin published.
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