Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for March, 2006

How do I use this table?

You use this table to learn about the security updates that you may need to install. You should review each software program or component listed to see if there are required security updates. If a software program or component is listed then the impact of the vulnerability is listed and also hyperlinked to the available software update.

Note You may have to install several security updates for a single vulnerability. Review the whole column for each bulletin identifier that is listed to verify the updates that you have to install, based on the programs or components that you have installed on your system.

For example, security bulletin MS06-012 provides several security updates that may be required depending on the affected software and affected components you installed.

Affected Software and Download Locations

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 this security update with 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 to Windows 2000 and later operating systems.

For more information about how to deploy this security update 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 to 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, see 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 and the Microsoft Office Detection 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, see 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.

QChain.exe and Update.exe:

Microsoft has released a command-line tool named QChain.exe that gives system administrators the ability to safely chain security updates together. Chaining is when you install multiple updates without restarting between each install. Update.exe, used in the updates that are described in this advisory, has chaining functionality built in. Customers who use Windows 2000 Service Pack 2 or later, who use Windows XP, or who use Windows Server 2003, do not require Qchain.exe to chain these updates. Qchain.exe still supports chaining these Windows Updates so that an administrator can create a consistent deployment script across all platforms. For more information about Qchain, visit this Web site.

Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer:

The 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 Web site.

Detection and Deployment Guidance:

Microsoft has provided detection and deployment guidance for this month’s security updates. This guidance will also help IT professionals understand how they can use various tools to help deploy the security update, such as Windows Update, Microsoft Update, Office Update, the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA), the Office Detection Tool, Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS), the Extended Security Update Inventory Tool, and the Enterprise Update Scan Tool (EST). For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 910723.