Microsoft Windows Uri Handling Command Execution Vulnerability

[TCH-Thomas]

From: Secunia http://secunia.com/advisories/26201/

Rating: Highly critical

 

Description:

A vulnerability has been discovered in Microsoft Windows, which can be exploited by malicious people to compromise a vulnerable system.

 

The vulnerability is caused due to an input validation error within the handling of system default URIs with registered URI handlers (e.g. "mailto", "news", "nntp", "snews", "telnet"). This can be exploited to execute arbitrary commands when a user e.g. using Firefox visits a malicious website with a specially crafted "mailto" URI containing a "%" character and ends in a certain extension (e.g. ".bat", ".cmd")

 

Successful exploitation requires that Internet Explorer 7 is installed on the system.

 

The vulnerability is confirmed on a fully patched Windows XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003 SP2 system using Firefox version 2.0.0.5 and Netscape Navigator version 9.0b2. Other versions and browsers may also be affected.

 

Solution:

Do not browse untrusted websites or follow untrusted links.

[TCH-Bruce]

Never do, thanks Thomas!

[TCH-Don]

thanks Thomas