Title: Microsoft Windows 2000 Task Manager Process Termination Vulnerability
Severity: MODERATE
Description:
Microsoft Windows 2000 Task Manager is a system management program which provides various types of information about a user's system. Task Manager allows a user to end any program or process running, as well enables one to view and monitor the CPU and memory usage of the system.
When ending a running process, using Task Manager, the user is prompted with a warning message informing them of the risk involved when terminating an application. However, when attempting to terminate a system service, Task Manager will not end the process. The user will be prompted with the following message:
'This is a critical system process. Task Manager cannot end this process.'
A few of the critical system services include 'winlogon.exe', 'csrss.exe', 'services.exe' and 'smss.exe'.
Windows 2000 is not case sensitive when determing whether or not a process is associated with the OS or not. If a file has the same name as a system process, a user will not be able to terminate it. This could allow for a malicious program to run on a system with out the possiblity of it being terminated via Task Manager. If the malicious program is designed to run on start up, termination of the program would not be possible.
It has been reported that using the 'kill' command along with the appropriate Process ID (PID) will successfully terminate the questionable program.
It may be necessary for the system to be re-built in order to regain normal system functionality.
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to a complete compromise of the host.
* Conflicting reports exist. It has been reported that it may be possible to terminate the questionable process via Task Manager.
Affected Products:
- Avaya DefinityOne Media Servers
- Avaya IP600 Media Servers
- Avaya S3400 Message Application Server
- Avaya S8100 Media Servers
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP1
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP2
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server SP1
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server SP2
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP1
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP2
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Server SP1
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Server SP2
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Terminal Services
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Terminal Services SP1
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Terminal Services SP2
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