[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: 3rd party patch for XP for MS09-048?

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS09-048 - Critical: Vulnerabilities in Windows TCP/IP Could Allow Remote Code Execution (967723): 
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS09-048.mspx
<P><B>If Windows XP is listed as an affected product, why is Microsoft not issuing an update for it?</B><BR>By default, Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows XP Service Pack 3, and Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2 do not have a listening service configured in the client firewall and are therefore not affected by this vulnerability. Windows XP Service Pack 2 and later operating systems include a stateful host firewall that provides protection for computers against incoming traffic from the Internet or from neighboring network devices on a private network. The impact of a denial of service attack is that a system would become unresponsive due to memory consumption. However, a successful attack requires a sustained flood of specially crafted TCP packets, and the system will recover once the flood ceases. This makes the severity rating Low for Windows XP. Windows XP is not affected by CVE-2009-1925. Customers running Windows XP are at reduced risk, and Microsoft recommends they use the firewall included with the operating system, or a network firewall, to block access to the affected ports and limit the attack surface from untrusted networks.</P> 

Susan Bradley wrote:
Read the bulletin. There's no patch. It is deemed by Microsoft to be of low impact and thus no patch has been built. 

Jeffrey Walton wrote:

Hi Aras,
Given that M$ has officially shot-down all current Windows XP users by not 
issuing a patch for a DoS level issue,

Can you cite a reference?

Unless Microsoft has changed their end of life policy [1], XP should
be patched for security vulnerabilities until about 2014. Both XP Home
and XP Pro's mainstream support ended in 4/2009, but extended support
ends in 4/2014 [2]. Given that we know the end of extended support,
take a look at bullet 17 of [1]:

    17. What is the Security Update policy?

    Security updates will be available through the end of the Extended
    Support phase (five years of Mainstream Support plus five years of
    the Extended Support) at no additional cost for most products.
    Security updates will be posted on the Microsoft Update Web site
    during both the Mainstream and the Extended Support phase.
I realize some of you might be tempted to relay the M$ BS about "not being 
feasible because it's a lot of work" rhetoric...

Not at all.

Jeff

[1] http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifepolicy
[2] http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifeselect

On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 2:46 PM, Aras "Russ" Memisyazici
<nowhere@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hello All:
Given that M$ has officially shot-down all current Windows XP users by not issuing a patch for a DoS level issue, I'm now curious to find out whether or not any brave souls out there are already working or willing to work on 
an open-source patch to remediate the issue within XP.
I realize some of you might be tempted to relay the M$ BS about "not being feasible because it's a lot of work" rhetoric... I would just like to hear 
the thoughts of the true experts subscribed to these lists :)

No harm in that is there?

Aras "Russ" Memisyazici
Systems Administrator
Virginia Tech