Microsoft hopes to fix by May 8 a critical flaw in Windows Domain Name System (DNS) servers that is being exploited by online criminals, the company said late Tuesday.
Microsoft has been under pressure to address the flaw, reported last week, since software that exploits it has now been widely disseminated, and criminals are beginning to use it in attacks. On Monday, security experts confirmed that variants of the Rinbot worm (also called Nirbot by some vendors) had been scanning networks for vulnerable systems and then attempting to exploit the DNS bug.
Microsoft characterizes the level of attacks as "not widespread."
The problem affects Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003 systems, which can be tricked into running unauthorized software when an attacker sends them maliciously encoded RPC (Remote Procedure Call) packets to the DNS server. The latest versions of Windows 2000 Professional, XP and Vista are not vulnerable to this attack.
Microsoft has published a workaround for the problem, and the software vendor is weighing whether to step up its response and fix it ahead of May 8, the date of the company's next scheduled security update.
"While we don't have a firm estimate on when we'll complete our development and testing of updates for this issue, we have teams around the world working on it twenty-four hours a day, and hope to have updates no later than May 8, 2007," wrote Microsoft security program manager Christopher Budd, in a Tuesday blog posting. "However, this is a developing situation and we are constantly evaluating the situation and the status of our development and testing of updates," he added.
Microsoft was in a similar situation three weeks ago when attackers began exploiting a similarly critical flaw in the software used by Windows to read animated cursor files. Ultimately, Microsoft was forced to release an early patch for that flaw.
This whitepaper explains the terminology and concepts behind Data Replication technologies and establishes some sizing rules through worked examples. Learn the new paradigm in disaster tolerance—protect data anywhere.
Download now »
Server virtualization is a popular option for dealing with mounting datacenter costs. Another equally promising approach is the use of an Application Delivery Controller. Citrix NetScaler provides a low-cost way for organizations to reduce their server count and accrue cost savings from a reduction in space, cooling, power and personnel.
Download now »
The emergence of WLANs has created a new breed of security threats to enterprise networks.
Included in HP ProCurve WLAN solutions is security technology that alleviates threats from WLANs through:
* Monitoring wireless activity inside and out of the enterprise
* Classifying WLAN transmissions into harmful and harmless
* Preventing transmissions that pose a security threat to the enterprise network
* Locating participating devices for physical remediation
Effectively address data protection challenges, implementing solutions that help store and protect business–critical data while cutting costs and improving efficiency and reliability.
Download now »
Sign up to receive Security Resource Alerts
This white paper provides guidance on how to develop a strategic approach to managing and monitoring logs, a key function required for compliance with many regulatory mandates and a critical defense against security threats.
Download now! »
Learn about the processes and technologies that support security information management (SIM) operations, as well as the business case for SIM. The series examines different options for implementing SIM and gives you evaluation criteria for selecting the best option for your organization.
Download now! »
Learn the strategies, actions, and capabilities that Best-in-Class organizations employ and technologies they choose to obtain superior performance against various security performance metrics. This report provides guidelines for identifying which security solutions to consume as a MSS and defines best practices for choosing and managing MSSPs.
Download now! »
Recommend This
