DOCUMENT:Q239104 24-JUN-2002 [odbc] TITLE :Jet Expression Can Execute Unsafe VBA Functions PRODUCT :Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) PROD/VER::3.5,7.0 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS:kbdta ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft ODBC Driver for Access, version 3.5 - Microsoft Access for Windows 95, version 7.0 - Microsoft Access 97 - Microsoft Office 97 Professional Edition for Windows ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills. SYMPTOMS ======== Using Jet 3.5x, a user can call unsafe Visual Basic for Applications functions in query statements from all types of Jet applications, such as ODBC or Access. For example, the following statement would result in all files being deleted from a computer's current folder: SELECT Shell("Cmd /c del *.*") As c1 From Customers NOTE: The Shell command in this example works in Microsoft Windows NT. The command would have to be modified as follows to work on a computer running Microsoft Windows 95/98: SELECT Shell("Command.com /c del *.*") As c1 From Customers The security risk occurs when expressions contain Visual Basic for Application commands that can be harmful to a computer running the query, for example, Shell commands to delete files or format the computer. CAUSE ===== Jet queries can contain Visual Basic for Applications expressions. These are evaluated during query execution, a behavior that is desirable in many circumstances. However, if part of the query contains the Shell command, it is parsed and executed on the computer. You can block such operations, which is called "Sandbox mode." However, by default in Microsoft Jet 3.5x, Sandbox mode is not enabled for any applications that can issue Visual Basic for Applications commands. RESOLUTION ========== In order to enable Sandbox mode, you must first install the Microsoft Jet 3.5 SP3 update. After installing this update, the next time that you run Jet, a new registry key is added to the registry. You can use this new registry key to prevent this type of security risk. The following is the registry key that is added: \\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Jet\3.5\engines\SandboxMode For additional information about how to obtain the Microsoft Jet 3.5 SP3 update, please click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Q172733 Updated Version of Microsoft Jet 3.5 Available on MSL To make your system more resistant to malicious attacks while at the same time making it possible for older applications to keep running, the operation of the Sandbox box mode has changed in the Jet update so that it is fully under your control. You can set the key to the following values, with 0 (zero) being most permissive and 3 being least permissive: +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Setting | Description | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | 0 | Sandbox mode is disabled at all times. | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | 1 | Sandbox mode is used for Access applications, but not for non-Access Applications. | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | 2 | Sandbox mode is used for non-Access applications, but not for Access Applications. (This is the default value.) | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | 3 | Sandbox mode is used at all times. | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ STATUS ====== Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article. MORE INFORMATION ================ With Sandbox mode enabled, if you try to use Visual Basic for Applications functions in a Jet query that are not considered safe, you receive the following error message: JET_errExprUnknownFunction Sandbox Mode Operations Allowed ------------------------------- The following is a list of functions that you can use in Jet queries when Sandbox mode is enabled. Any functions that do not appear in the list are not available in Sandbox mode. +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | ABS | array | ASC | ASCB | ASCW | ATN | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | CBOOL | CBYTE | CCUR | CDATE | CDBL | choose | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | CHR | CHR$ | CHRB | CHRB$ | CHRW | CHRW$ | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | CINT | CLNG | COS | CSNG | CSTR | CVAR | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | CvDate | CVErr | date | DATE$ | DATEADD | dateDiff | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | datePart | DATESERIAL | DATEVALUE | day | DDB | error | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | error$ | EXP | fix | format | format$ | fv | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | hex | hex$ | HOUR | IIF | IMEStatus | inStr | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | INT | IPMT | IRR | isDate | isEmpty | ISERROR | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | isNull | isNumeric | isObject | lCase | lCase$ | LEFT | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | LEFT$ | LEFTB | LEFTB$ | LEN | LENB | LOG | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | lTrim | lTrim$ | MID | MID$ | MIDB | MIDB$ | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | MINUTE | MIRR | MONTH | NOW | NPER | NPV | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | oct | oct$ | partition | PMT | PPMT | PV | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | QBColor | RATE | RGB | RIGHT | RIGHT$ | RIGHTB | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | RIGHTB$ | rnd | round | rTrim | rTrim$ | SECOND | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | sgn | SIN | SLN | space | space$ | sqr | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | str | str$ | strComp | strConv | string | string$ | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | switch | SYD | TAN | TIME | TIME$ | timer | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | timeSerial | TIMEVALUE | TRIM | TRIM$ | typeName | uCase | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | uCase$ | val | varType | WEEKDAY | YEAR | | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ Additional query words: pra ====================================================================== Keywords : kbdta Technology : kbOfficeSearch kbAudDeveloper kbAccessSearch kbAccess97 kbOffice97Search kbODBCSearch kbAccess97Search kbAccess95Search kbOffice97 kbZNotKeyword3 kbAccess700 kbODBCAccess350 Version : :3.5,7.0 Issue type : kbbug Solution Type : kbpending ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 2002.