What's the deal with MS05-002 (KB891711.EXE) and Windows 98?

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS05-002
Vulnerability in Cursor and Icon Format Handling Could Allow Remote Code
Execution (891711)

Vulnerability Details

Cursor and Icon Format Handling Vulnerability - CAN-2004-1049:

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that cursor,
animated cursor, and icon formats are handled. An attacker could try to
exploit the vulnerability by constructing a malicious cursor or icon
file that could potentially allow remote code execution if a user
visited a malicious Web site or viewed a malicious e-mail message. An
attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take
complete control of an affected system.

Mitigating Factors for Cursor and Icon Format Handling Vulnerability -
CAN-2004-1049:
•

In a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker would have to host a Web
site that contains a Web page that is used to exploit this
vulnerability. An attacker could also attempt to compromise a Web site
to have it serve up a Web page with malicious content attempting to
exploit this vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users
to visit a Web site. Instead, an attacker would have to persuade them to
visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link that takes
them to the attacker's site or a site compromised by the attacker.
•

An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the
same user rights as the local user. Users whose accounts are configured
to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than
users who operate with administrative user rights.
•

By default, Outlook Express 6, Outlook 2002, and Outlook 2003 open HTML
e-mail messages in the Restricted sites zone. Additionally, Outlook 2000
opens HTML e-mail messages in the Restricted sites zone if the Outlook
E-mail Security Update has been installed. Outlook Express 5.5 Service
Pack 2 opens HTML e-mail messages in the Restricted sites zone if
Microsoft Security Bulletin MS04-018 has been installed. The Restricted
sites zone helps reduce attacks that could attempt to exploit this
vulnerability.

The risk of attack from the HTML e-mail vector can be significantly
reduced if you meet all the following conditions:
•

Apply the update that is included with Microsoft Security Bulletin
MS03-040 or a later Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer.
•

Use Internet Explorer 6 or later.
•

Use the Microsoft Outlook E-mail Security Update, use Microsoft Outlook
Express 6 or later, or use Microsoft Outlook 2000 Service Pack 2 or
later in its default configuration.
•

Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 is not affected by this vulnerability.
Top of sectionTop of section

Workarounds for Cursor and Icon Format Handling Vulnerability -
CAN-2004-1049:

Microsoft has tested the following workarounds. While these workarounds
will not correct the underlying vulnerability, they help block known
attack vectors. When a workaround reduces functionality, it is
identified below.
•

Install the Outlook E-mail Security Update if you are using Outlook 2000
SP1 or earlier.

By default, Outlook Express 6, Outlook 2002 and Outlook 2003 open HTML
e-mail messages in the Restricted sites zone. Additionally, Outlook 2000
opens HTML e-mail messages in the Restricted sites zone if the Outlook
E-mail Security Update has been installed.

Outlook Express 5.5 Service Pack 2 opens HTML e-mail messages in the
Restricted sites zone if Microsoft Security Bulletin MS04-018 has been
installed. Customers who use any of these products could be at a reduced
risk from an e-mail-borne attack that tries to exploit this
vulnerability unless the user clicks a malicious link in the e-mail message.
•

Read e-mail messages in plain text format if you are using Outlook 2002
or later, or Outlook Express 6 SP1 or later, to help protect yourself
from the HTML e-mail attack vector.

Microsoft Outlook 2002 users who have applied Office XP Service Pack 1
or later and Microsoft Outlook Express 6 users who have applied Internet
Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 can enable this setting and view e-mail
messages that are not digitally signed or e-mail messages that are not
encrypted in plain text only.

Digitally signed e-mail messages or encrypted e-mail messages are not
affected by the setting and may be read in their original formats. For
more information about enabling this setting in Outlook 2002, see
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 307594.

For information about this setting in Outlook Express 6, see Microsoft
Knowledge Base Article 291387.

Impact of Workaround: E-mail messages that are viewed in plain text
format will not contain pictures, specialized fonts, animations, or
other rich content. In addition:
•

The changes are applied to the preview pane and to open messages.
•

Pictures become attachments so that they are not lost.
•

Because the message is still in Rich Text or HTML format in the store,
the object model (custom code solutions) may behave unexpectedly.

John

Gary S. Terhune wrote:

Why? What does OE have to do with KB891711.EXE?

thanks john john,

i will sus' all that info out never been happy with oe.

len

snipped
--
happy gardening
'it works for me it could work for you,'

"in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~gardenlen1/

my e/mail addies have spam filters you should know what to delete before you send.

Dan wrote:

I just choose to continue to use Outlook Express.

Good for you, keep on applying them security patches that run as services.

John

That hardly answers the question. All that says is that viewing email in
HTML format can be risky. I don't see how switching from OE to some
other newsreader will change that. If you view email in HTML format, you
are much more at risk than if you view it in plain text, period. Not
only from the vulnerabilities mentioned in this Security Bulletin, but
from a myriad of other vulnerabilities involving HTML rendering. So, the
answer is: View email in PlainText only. Fortunately, OE6 and up have
this option--to view email in PlainText only. Does your newsreader have
that option? And do you use it? If not, you're engaging in risky
behavior.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"John John" wrote in message
...
Gary S. Terhune wrote:

Why? What does OE have to do with KB891711.EXE?

verbatim copy of MS05-002 snipped.

"Gary S. Terhune" wrote in message
...
That hardly answers the question. All that says is that viewing email in
HTML format can be risky. I don't see how switching from OE to some
other newsreader will change that. If you view email in HTML format, you
are much more at risk than if you view it in plain text, period. Not
only from the vulnerabilities mentioned in this Security Bulletin, but
from a myriad of other vulnerabilities involving HTML rendering. So, the
answer is: View email in PlainText only.

Yes

Fortunately, OE6 and up have
this option--to view email in PlainText only. Does your newsreader have
that option? And do you use it? If not, you're engaging in risky
behavior.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"John John" wrote in message
...
Gary S. Terhune wrote:

Why? What does OE have to do with KB891711.EXE?

verbatim copy of MS05-002 snipped.

I'm not looking for a different email client. I'm simply responding to
someone who seems to think that using some other email client will
protect him from malicious code in HTML emails and that it's OE itself
that is the problem--neither proposition is true.

I use OE6, with PT-Only set. On occasion, idiots who send out HTML email
in which certain parts can *only* be seen in HTML force me to
temporarily allow HTML rendering. Major companies like Microsoft and
Computer Associates seem to be the worst offenders.

But I'm quite happy with my OE and see no compelling reason to change it
for any other email or news client.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"Me &" wrote in message
news
Find yourself a copy of Eudora 3.0.5 (very old). It's text only
email. If there are pictures included you can choose to view them,
but no html email. That's all I run. I hate html in my email.
You can still download it from Eudora, but I am not sure if it can be
purchased any longer. I bought it many years ago, I upgraded to a
newer version, and found the newer ones were html ONLY. I went back
to the old version.


On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 23:29:02 -0800, "Gary S. Terhune"
wrote:

That hardly answers the question. All that says is that viewing email
in
HTML format can be risky. I don't see how switching from OE to some
other newsreader will change that. If you view email in HTML format,
you
are much more at risk than if you view it in plain text, period. Not
only from the vulnerabilities mentioned in this Security Bulletin,
but
from a myriad of other vulnerabilities involving HTML rendering. So,
the
answer is: View email in PlainText only. Fortunately, OE6 and up have
this option--to view email in PlainText only. Does your newsreader
have
that option? And do you use it? If not, you're engaging in risky
behavior.

Wow, thanks for the warning. User is now highly thinking of making due with
posting in Mozilla Thunderbird. Have a nice day! Hmmm, I must research
this information

"John John" wrote in message
...
: Ditch OE altogether.
:
: http://www.us-cert.gov/
:
: OE search - about 414 results found, top 250 sorted by relevance
:
http://search.us-cert.gov/query.html...1&qt=outlo ok
:
: Been like that for years, ever since it was introduced to say the truth.
: Corporate policy recommends and bans its use in many places for example:
:
: http://www.etsii.upm.es/inforgen/ssii/cambridge.html
:
: John
:
: len gardener wrote:
:
: thanks john john,
:
: i use oe mostly for the usenet i have e/mail readers well covered.
:
: ta
:
: len
:
: snipped

Okay, I will do and your other post made me see the light so I may start
using Mozilla Thunderbird instead.

"John John" wrote in message
...
: Dan wrote:
:
: I just choose to continue to use Outlook Express.
:
: Good for you, keep on applying them security patches that run as services.
:
: John

In ,
John John had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

You will never go back to IE and OE once you experience the Mozilla
applications.

Unless you use Hotmail. In that case you'll want something like Hotmail
Popper

Galen
--
Signature changed for a moment of silence.
Rest well Alex and we'll see you on the other side.

In ,
len gardener had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

thanks john john,

i will sus' all that info out never been happy with oe.

len

snipped

Give this a try if you like light and easy:

http://xnews.newsguy.com/

I use it when I'm on the road or when I'm on someone else's computer.

Galen
--
Signature changed for a moment of silence.
Rest well Alex and we'll see you on the other side.