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Windows flaw could spawn DoS attacks
July 15, 2005
Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 are vulnerable to a denial-of-service attack that exploits a problem in the Remote Desktop Protocol, Microsoft said in an advisory on Saturday.
RDP is a protocol that enables remote access to Windows systems. Because of a flaw in the way Windows handles remote desktop requests, an attacker could crash a PC by sending a malformed remote request, Microsoft said.
The advisory was released after the security researcher who discovered the flaw last week flagged Windows XP as vulnerable. Microsoft confirmed the issue on Friday and published the advisory over the weekend.
Microsoft said it is working on a patch, but noted that it is not aware of any attacks that try to exploit the vulnerability. However, security experts at The SANS Institute on Saturday did notice an increase in port scanning activity on the network port used by RDP. That could be a sign that hackers are trying to look for targets.
While most Windows versions ship with RDP services disabled, Remote Desktop is turned on out-of-the-box in Windows XP Media Center Edition. Only computers using services that have RDP enabled are vulnerable, Microsoft said in its advisory.
Services with RDP include Terminal Services in Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003, and Remote Desktop Sharing and Remote Assistance in Windows XP.
Until a patch is available, Microsoft suggests users block TCP port 3389 (the port used by RDP) on their firewall, disable Terminal Services or Remote Desktop if not required, or secure remote desktop connections using either Internet Protocol Security or a virtual private network connection.
See more CNET content tagged:
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Microsoft Windows XP Media Center
I am so damn sick of Bill Gates microsoft world of patch this and
patch that again and again for the rest of the PC world for as
long as their is a Micorsoft anything.
After using, working, upgrading, and building pc's running the
microsoft OS should have just switched over to The AWESOME
APPLE COMPUTERS AND Especially the Mac OS Tiger which is a
true OS that Bill Gates could and can never dream of in his entire
life, muchless come close to doing anything right.
The Mac OS is light years ahead of it's time comapred to the
Microsoft pile of wasted digital code invading almost every
computer in the world.
Microsoft is a complete joke just like the goofy looking owner
B.G.
PS.
IF YOU HAVEN'T TRIED A MAC SYSTEM, THEN YOU ARE MISSING
THE FUTURE THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN HERE.
THE MAC OS IS BEAUTY AND POWER.
Thank you.
Nino
When you have a market share as large as Windows, of course there are going to be patches as people are going to be trying to find exploits...
Also show me a Mac running any worthwhile and recent games and ill give you a cookie.
- Can Windows users makes any MORE excuses for bad choices
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by educateme
August 30, 2005 4:19 AM PDT
- Apparently no Windows user is able to admit the obvious, they
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Reply to this comment
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(9 Comments)bought a bucket of BOLTs and little more. Go patch a PC, then
Play a Game, then surf a site, then remove some spyware, get
the Tuesday update package installed, determine what
applications are broken next, fix those, maybe play a game if
you have time, then start the patch process all over again. You
guys have way TOO MUCH time on your hands if you think this is
efficient computing, you must be absolute morons to keep
professing that Microsoft Windows is OK, its just so popular that
it has these awful virus, trojans, worms and holes, and many
people want to knock it down, Yeah keep telling yourself that.
Go buy a Mac, get down off your "head in your butt" podium and
get smart.....turn off the PC and go buy Apple. If nothing else
buy some Apple stock, at least you will have made "one" good
choice in life.