Microsoft reports zero-day server bug exploits

Stan Beer
Sunday, 15 April 2007 13:29

Business IT - Security

In what is one of the most potentially serious zero-day Microsoft Windows bugs this year, exploits affecting a critical vulnerability in Windows servers systems has been reported by Microsoft. Attacks, which exploit vulnerabilities in servers are deemed especially serious because they have the potential of taking down entire corporate networks.

In its security advisory, Microsoft says that vulnerability affects the Domain Name System (DNS) Server Service in Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Service Pack 4, Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1, and Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2.

"Microsoft’s initial investigation reveals that the attempts to exploit this vulnerability could allow an attacker to run code in the security context of the Domain Name System Server Service, which by default runs as Local SYSTEM," the advisory says.

To date, Microsoft has not committed itself to issuing a fix outside of its monthly patching cycle - unless customers scream loudly enough.