FP98: Security Patch for FrontPage Personal Web Server

ID: Q216453

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

Users running FrontPage Personal Web Server 1.0 (vhttpd32.exe version 3.0.2.xxxx) under the Microsoft Windows 95 or Windows 98 operating systems are vulnerable to unauthorized users accessing their files using a specific non-standard URL. The unauthorized users would have to know the exact file name to access it.

Users running FrontPage Personal Web Server on Microsoft Windows NT are not affected. Furthermore, most users of Microsoft FrontPage are not affected as the FrontPage Personal Web Server is available on the FrontPage CD, but was only installed by default with FrontPage 1.1. Subsequent versions of FrontPage installed Microsoft Personal Web Server 2.0, which is not affected by this issue.


CAUSE

This vulnerability involves the ability of a malicious user to bypass the server's normal file access controls by entering a non-standard URL. The file must be specifically requested by name, so the malicious user would need to already know the name of the file or correctly guess it. The vulnerability only affects users of FrontPage Personal Web Server 1.0 (vhttpd32.exe version 3.0.2.xxxx) to host their own Web site.


RESOLUTION

A fully supported patch is available to fix this vulnerability, and Microsoft recommends that affected customers download and install it.

Users can connect to the following site for more information and to download the patch:

http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/Articles/PersWeb.htm

Additional query words: front page fix add-on add on update 


Keywords          : kbdta 
Version           : WINDOWS:
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        :

Last Reviewed: March 25, 1999