Microsoft Security Bulletin MS12-033 - Important

Vulnerability in Windows Partition Manager Could Allow Elevation of Privilege (2690533)

Published: Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Version: 1.0

General Information

Executive Summary

This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerability could allow elevation of privilege if an attacker logs on to a system and runs a specially crafted application. An attacker must have valid logon credentials and be able to log on locally to exploit this vulnerability.

This security update is rated Important for all supported editions of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2. For more information, see the subsection, Affected and Non-Affected Software, in this section.

The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting the way that Windows Partition Manager allocates objects in memory. For more information about the vulnerability, see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) subsection for the specific vulnerability entry under the next section, Vulnerability Information.

Recommendation. The majority of customers have automatic updating enabled and will not need to take any action because this security update will be downloaded and installed automatically. Customers who have not enabled automatic updating need to check for updates and install this update manually. For information about specific configuration options in automatic updating, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 294871.

For administrators and enterprise installations, or end users who want to install this security update manually, Microsoft recommends that customers apply the update at the earliest opportunity using update management software, or by checking for updates using the Microsoft Update service.

See also the section, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance, later in this bulletin.

Known Issues. None

Affected and Non-Affected Software

The following software have been tested to determine which versions or editions are affected. Other versions or editions are either past their support life cycle or are not affected. To determine the support life cycle for your software version or edition, visit Microsoft Support Lifecycle.

Affected Software

Operating System	Maximum Security Impact	Aggregate Severity Rating	Updates Replaced
Windows Vista
Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (KB2690533)	Elevation of Privilege	Important	None
Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 2 (KB2690533)	Elevation of Privilege	Important	None
Windows Server 2008
Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (KB2690533)	Elevation of Privilege	Important	None
Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (KB2690533)	Elevation of Privilege	Important	None
Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems Service Pack 2 (KB2690533)	Elevation of Privilege	Important	None
Windows 7
Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems (KB2690533)	Elevation of Privilege	Important	None
Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1 (KB2690533)	Elevation of Privilege	Important	None
Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2690533)	Elevation of Privilege	Important	None
Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (KB2690533)	Elevation of Privilege	Important	None
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems (KB2690533)	Elevation of Privilege	Important	None
Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (KB2690533)	Elevation of Privilege	Important	None
Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems (KB2690533)	Elevation of Privilege	Important	None
Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems Service Pack 1 (KB2690533)	Elevation of Privilege	Important	None
Server Core installation option
Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (KB2690533)	Elevation of Privilege	Important	None
Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (KB2690533)	Elevation of Privilege	Important	None
Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems (KB2690533)	Elevation of Privilege	Important	None
Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (KB2690533)	Elevation of Privilege	Important	None

Non-Affected Software

Operating System
Windows XP Service Pack 3
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2
Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2
Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2
Windows Server 2003 with SP2 for Itanium-based Systems

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Related to This Security Update

Vulnerability Information

Severity Ratings and Vulnerability Identifiers

The following severity ratings assume the potential maximum impact of the vulnerability. For information regarding the likelihood, within 30 days of this security bulletin's release, of the exploitability of the vulnerability in relation to its severity rating and security impact, please see the Exploitability Index in the May bulletin summary. For more information, see Microsoft Exploitability Index.

Vulnerability Severity Rating and Maximum Security Impact by Affected Software
Affected Software	Plug and Play (PnP) Configuration Manager Vulnerability - CVE-2012-0178	Aggregate Severity Rating
Windows Vista Service Pack 2	Important Elevation of Privilege	Important
Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 2	Important Elevation of Privilege	Important
Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2	Important Elevation of Privilege	Important
Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2	Important Elevation of Privilege	Important
Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems Service Pack 2	Important Elevation of Privilege	Important
Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems	Important Elevation of Privilege	Important
Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1	Important Elevation of Privilege	Important
Windows 7 for x64-based Systems	Important Elevation of Privilege	Important
Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1	Important Elevation of Privilege	Important
Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems	Important Elevation of Privilege	Important
Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1	Important Elevation of Privilege	Important
Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems	Important Elevation of Privilege	Important
Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems Service Pack 1	Important Elevation of Privilege	Important
Server Core installation option
Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2	Important Elevation of Privilege	Important
Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2	Important Elevation of Privilege	Important
Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems	Important Elevation of Privilege	Important
Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1	Important Elevation of Privilege	Important

Plug and Play (PnP) Configuration Manager Vulnerability - CVE-2012-0178

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way that Windows Partition Manager handles device relations requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full administrative rights.

To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2012-0178.

Mitigating Factors for Plug and Play (PnP) Configuration Manager Vulnerability - CVE-2012-0178

Workarounds for Plug and Play (PnP) Configuration Manager Vulnerability - CVE-2012-0178

FAQ for Plug and Play (PnP) Configuration Manager Vulnerability - CVE-2012-0178

What is the scope of the vulnerability?
This is an elevation of privilege vulnerability.

What causes the vulnerability?
The vulnerability is caused when two or more processes or threads call Plug and Play (PnP) Configuration Manager functions at the same time.

What is the component affected by this vulnerability?
The component affected by this vulnerability is Windows Partition Manager (partmgr.sys).

What is Windows Partition Manager (partmgr.sys)?
Windows Partition Manager is responsible for discovering, creating, deleting, and managing partitions. The Partition Manager acts as the filter driver for disk device objects created by disk class drivers. It is responsible for ensuring that all online disks have unique signatures or GUIDs.

What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do?
An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode and take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full administrative rights.

How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability?
To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability and take complete control over the affected system.

What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Workstations and terminal servers are primarily at risk. Servers could be at more risk if administrators allow users to log on to servers and to run programs. However, best practices strongly discourage allowing this.

What does the update do?
The update addresses the vulnerability by correcting the way that Windows Partition Manager allocates objects in memory.

When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed?
No. Microsoft received information about this vulnerability through coordinated vulnerability disclosure.

When this security bulletin was issued, had Microsoft received any reports that this vulnerability was being exploited?
No. Microsoft had not received any information to indicate that this vulnerability had been publicly used to attack customers when this security bulletin was originally issued.

Update Information

Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance

Security Central

Manage the software and security updates you need to deploy to the servers, desktop, and mobile systems in your organization. For more information see the TechNet Update Management Center. The Microsoft TechNet Security website provides additional information about security in Microsoft products.

Security updates are available from Microsoft Update and Windows Update. Security updates are also available from the Microsoft Download Center. You can find them most easily by doing a keyword search for "security update."

Finally, security updates can be downloaded from the Microsoft Update Catalog. The Microsoft Update Catalog provides a searchable catalog of content made available through Windows Update and Microsoft Update, including security updates, drivers and service packs. By searching using the security bulletin number (such as, "MS07-036"), you can add all of the applicable updates to your basket (including different languages for an update), and download to the folder of your choosing. For more information about the Microsoft Update Catalog, see the Microsoft Update Catalog FAQ.

Detection and Deployment Guidance

Microsoft provides detection and deployment guidance for security updates. This guidance contains recommendations and information that can help IT professionals understand how to use various tools for detection and deployment of security updates. For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 961747.

Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer

Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) allows administrators to scan local and remote systems for missing security updates as well as common security misconfigurations. For more information about MBSA, visit Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer.

The following table provides the MBSA detection summary for this security update.

Software	MBSA
Windows Vista Service Pack 2	Yes
Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 2	Yes
Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2	Yes
Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2	Yes
Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems Service Pack 2	Yes
Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems and Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1	Yes
Windows 7 for x64-based Systems and Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1	Yes
Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems and Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1	Yes
Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems and Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems Service Pack 1	Yes

Note For customers using legacy software not supported by the latest release of MBSA, Microsoft Update, and Windows Server Update Services, please visit Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer and reference the Legacy Product Support section on how to create comprehensive security update detection with legacy tools.

Windows Server Update Services

Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) enables information technology administrators to deploy the latest Microsoft product updates to computers that are running the Windows operating system. For more information about how to deploy security updates using Windows Server Update Services, see the TechNet article, Windows Server Update Services.

Systems Management Server

The following table provides the SMS detection and deployment summary for this security update.

Software	SMS 2003 with ITMU	Configuration Manager 2007
Windows Vista Service Pack 2	Yes	Yes
Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 2	Yes	Yes
Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2	Yes	Yes
Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2	Yes	Yes
Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems Service Pack 2	Yes	Yes
Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems and Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1	Yes	Yes
Windows 7 for x64-based Systems and Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1	Yes	Yes
Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems and Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1	Yes	Yes
Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems and Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems Service Pack 1	Yes	Yes

Note Microsoft discontinued support for SMS 2.0 on April 12, 2011. For SMS 2003, Microsoft also discontinued support for the Security Update Inventory Tool (SUIT) on April 12, 2011. Customers are encouraged to upgrade to System Center Configuration Manager 2007. For customers remaining on SMS 2003 Service Pack 3, the Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates (ITMU) is also an option.

For SMS 2003, the SMS 2003 Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates (ITMU) can be used by SMS to detect security updates that are offered by Microsoft Update and that are supported by Windows Server Update Services. For more information about the SMS 2003 ITMU, see SMS 2003 Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates. For more information about SMS scanning tools, see SMS 2003 Software Update Scanning Tools. See also Downloads for Systems Management Server 2003.

System Center Configuration Manager 2007 uses WSUS 3.0 for detection of updates. For more information about Configuration Manager 2007 Software Update Management, visit System Center Configuration Manager 2007.

For more information about SMS, visit the SMS website.

For more detailed information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 910723: Summary list of monthly detection and deployment guidance articles.

Update Compatibility Evaluator and Application Compatibility Toolkit

Updates often write to the same files and registry settings required for your applications to run. This can trigger incompatibilities and increase the time it takes to deploy security updates. You can streamline testing and validating Windows updates against installed applications with the Update Compatibility Evaluator components included with Application Compatibility Toolkit.

The Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) contains the necessary tools and documentation to evaluate and mitigate application compatibility issues before deploying Windows Vista, a Windows Update, a Microsoft Security Update, or a new version of Windows Internet Explorer in your environment.

Security Update Deployment

Inclusion in Future Service Packs	The update for this issue will be included in a future service pack or update rollup
Deployment
Installing without user intervention	For all supported 32-bit editions of Windows Vista: Windows6.0-KB2690533-x86.msu /quiet
	For all supported x64-based editions of Windows Vista: Windows6.0-KB2690533-x64.msu /quiet
Installing without restarting	For all supported 32-bit editions of Windows Vista: Windows6.0-KB2690533-x86.msu /quiet /norestart
	For all supported x64-based editions of Windows Vista: Windows6.0-KB2690533-x64.msu /quiet /norestart
Further information	See the subsection, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance
Restart Requirement
Restart required?	Yes, you must restart your system after you apply this security update.
HotPatching	Not applicable.
Removal Information	WUSA.exe does not support uninstall of updates. To uninstall an update installed by WUSA, click Control Panel, and then click Security. Under Windows Update, click View installed updates and select from the list of updates.
File Information	See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2690533
Registry Key Verification	Note A registry key does not exist to validate the presence of this update.

Supported Security Update Installation Switches
Switch	Description
/?, /h, /help	Displays help on supported switches.
/quiet	Suppresses the display of status or error messages.
/norestart	When combined with /quiet, the system will not be restarted after installation even if a restart is required to complete installation.

Inclusion in Future Service Packs	The update for this issue will be included in a future service pack or update rollup
Deployment
Installing without user intervention	For all supported 32-bit editions of Windows Server 2008: Windows6.0-KB2690533-x86.msu /quiet
	For all supported x64-based editions of Windows Server 2008: Windows6.0-KB2690533-x64.msu /quiet
	For all supported Itanium-based editions of Windows Server 2008: Windows6.0-KB2690533-ia64.msu /quiet
Installing without restarting	For all supported 32-bit editions of Windows Server 2008: Windows6.0-KB2690533-x86.msu /quiet /norestart
	For all supported x64-based editions of Windows Server 2008: Windows6.0-KB2690533-x64.msu /quiet /norestart
	For all supported Itanium-based editions of Windows Server 2008: Windows6.0-KB2690533-ia64.msu /quiet /norestart
Further information	See the subsection, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance
Restart Requirement
Restart required?	Yes, you must restart your system after you apply this security update.
HotPatching	Not applicable.
Removal Information	WUSA.exe does not support uninstall of updates. To uninstall an update installed by WUSA, click Control Panel, and then click Security. Under Windows Update, click View installed updates and select from the list of updates.
File Information	See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2690533
Registry Key Verification	Note A registry key does not exist to validate the presence of this update.

Supported Security Update Installation Switches
Switch	Description
/?, /h, /help	Displays help on supported switches.
/quiet	Suppresses the display of status or error messages.
/norestart	When combined with /quiet, the system will not be restarted after installation even if a restart is required to complete installation.

Inclusion in Future Service Packs	The update for this issue will be included in a future service pack or update rollup
Deployment
Installing without user intervention	For all supported 32-bit editions of Windows 7: Windows6.1-KB2690533-x86.msu /quiet
	For all supported x64-based editions of Windows 7: Windows6.1-KB2690533-x64.msu /quiet
Installing without restarting	For all supported 32-bit editions of Windows 7: Windows6.1-KB2690533-x86.msu /quiet /norestart
	For all supported x64-based editions of Windows 7: Windows6.1-KB2690533-x64.msu /quiet /norestart
Further information	See the subsection, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance
Restart Requirement
Restart required?	Yes, you must restart your system after you apply this security update.
HotPatching	Not applicable.
Removal Information	To uninstall an update installed by WUSA, use the /Uninstall setup switch or click Control Panel, click System and Security, and then under Windows Update, click View installed updates and select from the list of updates.
File Information	See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2690533
Registry Key Verification	Note A registry key does not exist to validate the presence of this update.

Supported Security Update Installation Switches
Switch	Description
/?, /h, /help	Displays help on supported switches.
/quiet	Suppresses the display of status or error messages.
/norestart	When combined with /quiet, the system will not be restarted after installation even if a restart is required to complete installation.
/warnrestart:<seconds>	When combined with /quiet, the installer will warn the user before initiating restart.
/promptrestart	When combined with /quiet, the installer will prompt before initiating restart.
/forcerestart	When combined with /quiet, the installer will forcefully close applications and initiate restart.
/log:<file name>	Enables logging to specified file.
/extract:<destination>	Extracts the package contents to the destination folder.
/uninstall /kb:<KB Number>	Uninstalls the security update.

Inclusion in Future Service Packs	The update for this issue will be included in a future service pack or update rollup
Deployment
Installing without user intervention	For all supported x64-based editions of Windows Server 2008 R2: Windows6.1-KB2690533-x64.msu /quiet
	For all supported Itanium-based editions of Windows Server 2008 R2: Windows6.1-KB2690533-ia64.msu /quiet
Installing without restarting	For all supported x64-based editions of Windows Server 2008 R2: Windows6.1-KB2690533-x64.msu /quiet /norestart
	For all supported Itanium-based editions of Windows Server 2008 R2: Windows6.1-KB2690533-ia64.msu /quiet /norestart
Further information	See the subsection, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance
Restart Requirement
Restart required?	Yes, you must restart your system after you apply this security update.
HotPatching	Not applicable.
Removal Information	To uninstall an update installed by WUSA, use the /Uninstall setup switch or click Control Panel, click System and Security, and then under Windows Update, click View installed updates and select from the list of updates.
File Information	See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2690533
Registry Key Verification	Note A registry key does not exist to validate the presence of this update.

Supported Security Update Installation Switches
Switch	Description
/?, /h, /help	Displays help on supported switches.
/quiet	Suppresses the display of status or error messages.
/norestart	When combined with /quiet, the system will not be restarted after installation even if a restart is required to complete installation.
/warnrestart:<seconds>	When combined with /quiet, the installer will warn the user before initiating restart.
/promptrestart	When combined with /quiet, the installer will prompt before initiating restart.
/forcerestart	When combined with /quiet, the installer will forcefully close applications and initiate restart.
/log:<file name>	Enables logging to specified file.
/extract:<destination>	Extracts the package contents to the destination folder.
/uninstall /kb:<KB Number>	Uninstalls the security update.

Other Information

Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP)

To improve security protections for customers, Microsoft provides vulnerability information to major security software providers in advance of each monthly security update release. Security software providers can then use this vulnerability information to provide updated protections to customers via their security software or devices, such as antivirus, network-based intrusion detection systems, or host-based intrusion prevention systems. To determine whether active protections are available from security software providers, please visit the active protections websites provided by program partners, listed in Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP) Partners.

Support

How to obtain help and support for this security update

Help installing updates: Support for Microsoft Update
Security solutions for IT professionals: TechNet Security Troubleshooting and Support
Help protect your computer that is running Windows from viruses and malware: Virus Solution and Security Center
Local support according to your country: International Support

Disclaimer

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.

Revisions

V1.0 (May 8, 2012): Bulletin published.

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS12-033 - Important

Vulnerability in Windows Partition Manager Could Allow Elevation of Privilege (2690533)

General Information

Executive Summary

Affected and Non-Affected Software

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Related to This Security Update

Vulnerability Information

Severity Ratings and Vulnerability Identifiers

Plug and Play (PnP) Configuration Manager Vulnerability - CVE-2012-0178

Mitigating Factors for Plug and Play (PnP) Configuration Manager Vulnerability - CVE-2012-0178

Workarounds for Plug and Play (PnP) Configuration Manager Vulnerability - CVE-2012-0178

FAQ for Plug and Play (PnP) Configuration Manager Vulnerability - CVE-2012-0178

Update Information

Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance

Security Update Deployment

Windows Vista (all editions)

Deployment Information

Windows Server 2008 (all editions)

Deployment Information

Windows 7 (all editions)

Deployment Information

Windows Server 2008 R2 (all editions)

Deployment Information

Other Information

Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP)

Support

Disclaimer

Revisions