Microsoft Windows Media Encoder Buffer Overrun Vulnerability

Overview

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iPolicy Networks Security Advisory


Date Discovered:	09/09/2008
Severity:	High
Operating Systems Affected:	Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4 Microsoft Windows XP SP2 Microsoft Windows XP SP3 Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 SP2 Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP1 Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP2 Microsoft Windows Server 2003 x64 Microsoft Windows Server 2003 x64 SP2 Microsoft Windows Vista Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 Microsoft Windows Vista x64 Microsoft Windows Vista x64 SP1
Applications Affected:	Microsoft Windows Media Encoder 9 Series

Synopsis

Microsoft Windows Media Encoder is prone to a buffer overflow vulnerability. This vulnerability exists in the WMEX.DLL ActiveX control installed by Windows Media Encoder 9 Series. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted Web page.

Recommended Actions

Update the patches as guided by vendor at :
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms08-053.mspx

Threat Analysis

The ActiveX control object installed by Media Encoder was marked as Safe for Scripting (SFS). However, this control was never intended to be instantiated in Internet Explorer. Marking a control as “safe for scripting” is an assertion by the author that the control is not capable of being misused to take a destructive action. Normally, web sites can only use ActiveX controls that are marked “safe for scripting”.

An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code. An attacker could then install programs, view, change, delete data or create new accounts with full user rights.

References

http://www.cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2008-3008

Write-up by: Aditya Chaturvedi

Security Sites

“iPolicy is one of the most visionary firewall vendors in the firewall Magic Quadrant. Its architecture of a central session processing engine and multiple content blades that are able to block based on signatures, rules and so on is the closest to the network security ideal.”

Greg Young, John Pescatore
Magic Quadrant for Network Firewalls, 2H04, Gartner

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