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Windows 7 allows remote blue-screen attacks [U]
Tuesday, September 8, 2009 @ 11:50am

(Updated with Microsoft advisory) Windows 7 when it ships next month will be vulnerable to an attack that hasn't been possible since 1999, a new vulnerability found by a security researcher shows. Sending a deliberately malformed network negotiation request can force a Windows 7 system into a page fault that triggers a "blue screen of death" error, even without the user's help in launching the code. The attack affects both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the OS.

The flaw stems from the rewritten network stack inherited from Vista, which itself has also been discovered as vulnerable to the attack. Although Microsoft had patched the exploits out of Windows 2000 and XP, the complete overhaul is now thought to reintroduce a problem that hasn't existed since earlier Windows releases.

Microsoft has been told of the exploit but hasn't yet released a patch; users of the newer operating systems are being asked to switch off the Server Message Block (SMB) feature or block its access entirely until a fix is available.

The attack comes at a particularly inopportune time for Microsoft, as it has been trying to market Windows 7 as its most secure release and is in the rare circumstance of having to compete against another major operating system release, Mac OS X Snow Leopard. Apple's software isn't necessarily more secure but typically hasn't been vulnerable to remote attacks that disable the system and has gotten more secure with the latest release, whose 64-bit memory space prevents certain kinds of memory attacks from working properly.

Update: Microsoft has issued an advisory that claims the finished versions of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 aren't affected, but Windows Vista remains compromised.

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  • Reader reaction
    Found 11 comments
    New Slogan: 263487
    "The Windows Vista look you love, the Windows ME bugs you crave!"

    Comment posted by: jpellino
    New Slogan part deux: 263489
    "The paying for betaware which you remember so fondly from Vista!"
    Comment posted by: climacs
    Without user intervention 263491
    Without user intervention, action, heck just looking at the site screws up Windows 7? What a POS! LOL
    Comment posted by: slapppy
    Works a treat 263492

    I just tested this with some python script from my Mac Mini, BSOD'ed my Windows 7 laptop the moment I ran the script the first time. Works like a champ. lol.

    This appears to not work over a WAN like the internet, but works on the LAN side. Still has use though and I can see 'playing' with some of our Win Vista/7 users at work :)
    Comment posted by: DeezNutts
    All I can say is... 263493
    Comment posted by: Mr. Strat
    New Slogan part trois: 263494
    "Windows 7, because Testudo loves a BSOD"
    Comment posted by: ricardogf
    Hmmm 263497
    That makes me want to keep my wireless net open. Anyone who abuses my bandwidth with get a swift BSOD care of me.
    Comment posted by: gitcypher
    Awsome! 263501
    Does this mean, we get to launch trumpet a couple of times more again? ohh please, someone remake trumpet again!
    Comment posted by: lrojas
    Wrong 263506
    Windows 7 when it ships next month will be vulnerable to an attack that hasn't been possible since 1999, a new vulnerability found by a security researcher shows.The flaw stems from the rewritten network stack inherited from Vista, which itself has also been discovered as vulnerable to the attack.

    Um, if it occurs in Windows Vista, doesn't that make the whole statement false? It's been possible to do this, apparently, since 2007 (or 2006, whenever Vista came out).
    Comment posted by: testudo
    Poorly worded 263534
    You would seem to be correct. From my reading of it, the exploit was in pre-1999 Windows, patched in 2000 and XP, and reappeared but was forgotten about (and not exploited) in Vista, which then caries onto Windows 7. Everything old is new again...
    Comment posted by: martinX
    More Comments:.. 1..2..Next
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