Vulnerability Note VU#225555

Microsoft SQL Server contains buffer overflow in pwdencrypt() function

Original Release date: 25 Jul 2002 | Last revised: 05 Feb 2003

Overview

The Microsoft SQL Server contains a buffer overflow vulnerability that may allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code with system privileges.

Description

The Microsoft SQL Server provides multiple methods for users to authenticate to SQL databases. When SQL Server Authentication is used, the username and password of each database user is stored in a database on the SQL server. When users supply a password to the server using this method, a function named pwdencrypt() is responsible for encrypting the user-supplied password so that it can be compared to the encrypted password stored on the SQL server. There is a buffer overflow in pwdencrypt() that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on the SQL server by supplying a crafted password value. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires knowledge of a valid username and will cause the supplied code to execute with the privileges of the SQL service account.

Impact

This vulnerability allows remote attackers with knowledge of a valid username to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the SQL service account. If the privileges of the service account are elevated via VU#796313, this vulnerability may result in compromise of the server host.

Solution

Apply a patch

Microsoft has published Security Bulletin MS02-034 to address this vulnerability. For more information, please see


This vulnerability also affects any products that include the Microsoft Desktop Engine (MSDE) 2000. For more information, please see

Systems Affected (Learn More)

VendorStatusDate NotifiedDate Updated
Microsoft CorporationAffected11 Jul 200225 Jul 2002
If you are a vendor and your product is affected, let us know.

CVSS Metrics (Learn More)

Group Score Vector
Base N/A N/A
Temporal N/A N/A
Environmental N/A N/A

References

Credit

This vulnerability was reported by Martin Rakhmanoff to the Bugtraq mailing list on June 14, 2002.

This document was written by Jeffrey P. Lanza and is based upon information provided by Microsoft.

Other Information

  • CVE IDs: CAN-2002-0624
  • CERT Advisory: CA-2002-22
  • Date Public: 14 Jun 2002
  • Date First Published: 25 Jul 2002
  • Date Last Updated: 05 Feb 2003
  • Severity Metric: 31.89
  • Document Revision: 26

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