Microsoft Help and Support Center (HCP) fails to properly validate HCP URLs

Overview

The Microsoft Help and Support Center (HCP) fails to properly handle HCP URL validation. Exploitation of this vulnerability may permit remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on the system with the privileges of the current user.

Description

Microsoft Windows XP and Server 2003 Help and Support Center (HCP) fails to properly handle HCP URL validation. This vulnerability can be exploited remotely through the use of a crafted URL via the HCP protocol handler (hcp://). In order to exploit this vulnerability a remote attacker would have to trick the victim into clicking on a malicious link, or visiting a malicious site. The victim may be required to take additional steps in order for exploitation to be successful. Microsoft has released Security Bulletin MS04-015 to address this issue.

According to Microsoft’s Security Bulletin MS04-015, the following systems are affected:

* Microsoft Windows XP and Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 1
* Microsoft Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Service Pack 1
* Microsoft Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003
* Microsoft Windows Server 2003
* Microsoft Windows Server 2003 64-Bit Edition 

The following systems are not affected:

* Microsoft Windows NT® Workstation 4.0 Service Pack 6a
* Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Service Pack 6a
* Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Terminal Server Edition Service Pack 6
* Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 2, Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 3, Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4
* Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition (SE), and Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (ME)  

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Impact

If a remote attacker could trick a victim into viewing a malicious web page or email message, the attacker could crash the system or potentially execute arbitrary code on the system with the privileges of the current user.

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Solution

Apply the patch or workarounds provided in Microsoft’s Security Bulletin MS04-015 to address this issue. Note that applying the patch or workarounds may affect the functionality of your system. Please read the impacts outlined in Microsoft’s advisory carefully and determine the impact to your configuration. http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=841996

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Vendor Information

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Updated: May 11, 2004

Status

Affected

Vendor Statement

We have not received a statement from the vendor.

Vendor Information

The vendor has not provided us with any further information regarding this vulnerability.

Addendum

Please see Microsoft’s Security Bulletin MS04-015.

If you have feedback, comments, or additional information about this vulnerability, please send us [email](<mailto:[email protected]?Subject=VU%23484814 Feedback>).

CVSS Metrics

Group	Score	Vector
Base
Temporal
Environmental

References

• <http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS04-015.mspx&gt;
• <http://exploitlabs.com/files/advisories/EXPL-A-2003-027-helpctr.txt&gt;

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Donnie Werner of exploitlabs.com for reporting this vulnerability.

This document was written by Jason A Rafail and is based on information provided in Microsoft’s Security Bulletin MS04-015.

Other Information

CVE IDs:	CVE-2004-0199
Severity Metric:	12.66 Date Public: