Microsoft Windows Security Bulletin Summary for March, 2004
Issued: March 9, 2004
Version Number: 1.0
An End User version of this advisory is available by visiting the following Web site.
Protect Your PC: Microsoft has provided information on how you can help protect your PC at the following locations:
| • | End Users can visit the Protect Your PC Web site. |
| • | IT Professionals can visit the IT Pro TechNet Security Information Web site. |
Update Management Strategies: The Microsoft Guide to Security Patch Management Web site provides additional information about Microsoft's best practice recommendations for applying security updates.
IT Pro Security Zone Community: Learn to improve security and optimize your IT infrastructure, and participate with other IT Pros on security topics in the IT Pro Security Zone Web site.
Microsoft Security Notification Service: To receive automatic e-mail notifications whenever Microsoft security bulletins are issued, subscribe to the Microsoft Security Notification Service.
Summary
Included in this advisory are updates for the newly discovered vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows. These vulnerabilities, broken down by severity are:
Moderate
Affected Software |
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Impact | Denial of Service | ||
Last Revised | March 9, 2004 | ||
Version Number | 1.0 |
Deployment
Software Update Services (SUS):
Microsoft Software Update Services (SUS) enables administrators to quickly and reliably deploy the latest critical updates and security updates to Windows® 2000 and Windows Server™ 2003-based servers, as well as to desktop computers running Windows 2000 Professional or Windows XP Professional.
For information about how to deploy this security update with Software Update Services, visit the Software Update Services Web site.
Systems Management Server (SMS):
Systems Management Server can provide assistance deploying this security update. For information about Systems Management Server visit the SMS Web Site. For detailed information about the many enhancements to the security update deployment process that SMS 2003 provides, please visit the SMS 2003 Security Patch Management Web site. For users of SMS 2.0, it also provides several additional tools to assist administrators in the deployment of security updates such as the SMS 2.0 Software Update Services Feature Pack and the SMS 2.0 Administration Feature Pack. The SMS 2.0 Software Update Services Feature Pack utilizes the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer and the Microsoft Office Detection Tool to provide broad support for security bulletin remediation. Some software updates may require administrative rights following a restart of the computer
Note: The inventory capabilities of the SMS 2.0 Software Update Services Feature Pack may be used for targeting updates to specific computers, and the SMS 2.0 Administration Feature Pack's Elevated Rights Deployment Tool can be used for installation. This provides optimal deployment for updates that require explicit targeting using Systems Management Server and administrative rights after the computer has been restarted.
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 rebooting between each install. Update.exe, used in the updates described in this advisory, has chaining functionality built in. For customers using Windows 2000 Service Pack 2 or higher, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003, Qchain.exe is not required 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. Please follow this link to download or view for more information on QChain.
Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA):
The Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer allows administrators to scan local and remote systems for missing security updates as well as common security misconfigurations. More information on MBSA is available at the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer Web site.
Other information:
Acknowledgments
Microsoft thanks the following for working with us to help protect customers:
| • | Qualys for reporting the issue described in MS04-008. |
Obtaining other security updates:
Updates for other security issues are available from the following locations:
| • | Security updates are available from the Microsoft Download Center, and can be most easily found by doing a keyword search for "security_patch". |
| • | Updates for consumer platforms are available from the WindowsUpdate Web site. |
Support:
| • | Technical support is available from Microsoft Product Support Services at 1-866-PCSAFETY for customers in the U.S. and Canada. There is no charge for support calls that are associated with security updates. |
| • | International customers can get support from their local Microsoft subsidiaries. There is no charge for support associated with security updates. Information on how to contact Microsoft support is available at the International Support Web Site. |
Security Resources:
| • | The Microsoft TechNet Security Web Site provides additional information about security in Microsoft products. |
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| • | Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA): Please view Knowledge Base Article 306460 for list of security updates that have detection limitations with the MBSA tool. |
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| • | Windows Update Catalog: Please view Knowledge Base Article 323166 for more information on the Windows Update Catalog. |
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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 (March 9, 2004): Bulletin published |