DoS attack on Windows 2000 Terminal Server

From: Jonathan Hunter (jonathan.hunter+dated+1043753340.86cf13at_private)
Date: Thu Jan 23 2003 - 03:29:01 PST

  • Next message: Steven M. Christey: "[Full-Disclosure] Re: New Web Vulnerability - Cross-Site Tracing"

    This one's short and simple..
    
    Description
    -----------
    
    Any user with sufficient permission to log on to a Windows 2000 Terminal
    Server (via RDP or ICA) and access its filesystem can reboot the server
    at will.
    
    
    Exploit
    -------
    
    - Open %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\MSGINA.DLL for exclusive access (read lock).
      I used Radsoft's HEXVIEW.EXE from Rix2K to do this.
    
    - Open a new connection to the server via RDP/ICA
    
    - Click the nice, helpful "Restart" button in the warning dialog that
      appears ("msgina.dll failed to load")
    
    Tested on Windows 2000 Server (IE55, SP2) and Windows 2000 Server (IE55,
    SP3). I do not have easy access to other platforms at the moment.
    
    
    Workaround
    ----------
    
    - Remove all permissions from MSGINA.DLL for "Power Users", "Users" and
      "Everyone"
    
    Note: The above workaround has been tested on Windows 2000 Server (IE55,
    SP2) and users were still able to log in as normal. I am not aware of a
    need for MSGINA.DLL to be accessible by normal users, but if there are
    any such circumstances Microsoft will need to produce an alternative fix.
    
    
    Vendor status
    -------------
    
    Contacted on 16/01/2003. Replied to my email the next day requesting
    additional time to investigate. No further replies since 17/01/2003.
    
    
    Thanks
    ------
    
    Thanks to PPH for the use of a Windows 2000 Server IE55,SP2 machine!
    



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Thu Jan 23 2003 - 17:25:25 PST