Security Bulletin

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS09-047 - Critical

Vulnerabilities in Windows Media Format Could Allow Remote Code Execution (973812)

Published: September 08, 2009 | Updated: September 16, 2009

Version: 1.1

General Information

Executive Summary

This security update resolves two privately reported vulnerabilities in Windows Media Format. Either vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user opened a specially crafted media file. If a user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

This security update is rated Critical for Windows Media Format Runtime 9.0, Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5, Windows Media Format Runtime 11, Microsoft Media Foundation, Windows Media Services 9.1, and Windows Media Services 2008. For more information, see the subsection, Affected and Non-Affected Software, in this section.

The security update addresses the vulnerabilities by modifying the way that Windows Media Format Runtime parses Advanced Systems Format (ASF) files and MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3) files. For more information about the vulnerabilities, 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 immediately 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. Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 973812 documents the currently known issues that customers may experience when installing this security update. The article also documents recommended solutions for these issues.

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 Component Maximum Security Impact Aggregate Severity Rating Bulletins Replaced by this Update
Windows Media Format Runtime
Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 Windows Media Format Runtime 9.0 (KB968816) Remote Code Execution Critical MS06-078
Windows XP Service Pack 2 Windows Media Format Runtime 9.0, Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5, and Windows Media Format Runtime 11 (KB968816) Remote Code Execution Critical MS06-078
Windows XP Service Pack 3 Windows Media Format Runtime 9.0, Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5, and Windows Media Format Runtime 11 (KB968816) Remote Code Execution Critical MS06-078
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2 Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 (KB968816) Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 x64 Edition (KB968816) Remote Code Execution Critical None
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2 Windows Media Format Runtime 11 (KB968816) Remote Code Execution Critical None
Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 (KB968816) Remote Code Execution Critical None
Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2 Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 (KB968816) Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 x64 Edition (KB968816) Remote Code Execution Critical None
Windows Vista, Windows Vista Service Pack 1, and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Windows Media Format Runtime 11 and Microsoft Media Foundation (KB968816) Remote Code Execution Critical None
Windows Vista x64 Edition, Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 1, and Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 2 Windows Media Format Runtime 11 and Microsoft Media Foundation (KB968816) Remote Code Execution Critical None
Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems and Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2** Windows Media Format Runtime 11 and Microsoft Media Foundation (KB968816) Remote Code Execution Critical None
Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems and Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2** Windows Media Format Runtime 11 and Microsoft Media Foundation (KB968816) Remote Code Execution Critical None
Windows Media Services
Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 Windows Media Services 9.1 (KB972554) Remote Code Execution Critical MS08-076
Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2 Windows Media Services 9.1 (KB972554) Remote Code Execution Critical MS08-076
Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems and Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2* Windows Media Services 2008 (KB972554) Remote Code Execution Critical MS08-076
Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems and Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2* Windows Media Services 2008 (KB972554) Remote Code Execution Critical MS08-076

*Windows Server 2008 Server Core installation affected. For supported editions of Windows Server 2008, this update applies, with the same severity rating, whether or not Windows Server 2008 was installed using the Server Core installation option. For more information on this installation option, see Server Core. Note that the Server Core installation option does not apply to certain editions of Windows Server 2008; see Compare Server Core Installation Options.

**Windows Server 2008 Server Core installation not affected. The vulnerability addressed by this update does not affect supported editions of Windows Server 2008 if Windows Server 2008 was installed using the Server Core installation option. For more information on this installation option, see Server Core. Note that the Server Core installation option does not apply to certain editions of Windows Server 2008; see Compare Server Core Installation Options.

Non-Affected Software

Operating System
Windows Server 2003 with SP2 for Itanium-based Systems
Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems and Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems Service Pack 2
Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems
Windows 7 for x64-based Systems
Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems
Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems

Where are the file information details?
Refer to the reference tables in the Security Update Deployment section for the location of the file information details.

What is Microsoft Media Foundation?
Microsoft Media Foundation is a default component included in Windows Vista and later which allows applications to play or capture digital media.

Why does this update address several reported security vulnerabilities?  This update contains support for several vulnerabilities because the modifications that are required to address these issues are located in related files. Instead of having to install several updates that are almost the same, customers need to install this update only.

I am using an older release of the software discussed in this security bulletin. What should I do?  The affected software listed in this bulletin have been tested to determine which releases are affected. Other releases are past their support life cycle. To determine the support life cycle for your software release, visit Microsoft Support Lifecycle.

It should be a priority for customers who have older releases of the software to migrate to supported releases to prevent potential exposure to vulnerabilities. For more information about the Windows Product Lifecycle, visit Microsoft Support Lifecycle. For more information about the extended security update support period for these software versions or editions, visit Microsoft Product Support Services.

Customers who require custom support for older releases must contact their Microsoft account team representative, their Technical Account Manager, or the appropriate Microsoft partner representative for custom support options. Customers without an Alliance, Premier, or Authorized Contract can contact their local Microsoft sales office. For contact information, visit Microsoft Worldwide Information, select the country, and then click Go to see a list of telephone numbers. When you call, ask to speak with the local Premier Support sales manager. For more information, see the Windows Operating System Product Support Lifecycle FAQ.

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 September bulletin summary. For more information, see Microsoft Exploitability Index.

Affected Software Windows Media Header Parsing Invalid Free Vulnerability - CVE-2009-2498 Windows Media Playback Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2009-2499 Aggregate Severity Rating
Windows Media Format Runtime
Windows Media Format Runtime 9.0 when installed on Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 Critical Remote Code Execution Critical Remote Code Execution Critical
Windows Media Format Runtime 9.0 on Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows XP Service Pack 3 Critical Remote Code Execution Critical Remote Code Execution Critical
Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 and Windows Media Format Runtime 11 when installed on Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows XP Service Pack 3 Critical Remote Code Execution Critical Remote Code Execution Critical
Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 on Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2 Critical Remote Code Execution Critical Remote Code Execution Critical
Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 x64 Edition and Windows Media Format Runtime 11 when installed on Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2 Critical Remote Code Execution Critical Remote Code Execution Critical
Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 on Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 Critical Remote Code Execution Critical Remote Code Execution Critical
Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 on Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2 Critical Remote Code Execution Critical Remote Code Execution Critical
Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 x64 Edition when installed on Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2 Critical Remote Code Execution Critical Remote Code Execution Critical
Windows Media Format Runtime 11 on Windows Vista, Windows Vista Service Pack 1, and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Critical Remote Code Execution Critical Remote Code Execution Critical
Microsoft Media Foundation on Windows Vista, Windows Vista Service Pack 1, and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Not applicable Critical Remote Code Execution Critical
Windows Media Format Runtime 11 on Windows Vista x64 Edition, Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 1, and Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 2 Critical Remote Code Execution Critical Remote Code Execution Critical
Microsoft Media Foundation on Windows Vista x64 Edition, Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 1, and Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 2 Not applicable Critical Remote Code Execution Critical
Windows Media Format Runtime 11 on Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems and Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2** Critical Remote Code Execution Critical Remote Code Execution Critical
Microsoft Media Foundation on Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems and Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2** Not applicable Critical Remote Code Execution Critical
Windows Media Format Runtime 11 on Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems and Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2** Critical Remote Code Execution Critical Remote Code Execution Critical
Microsoft Media Foundation on Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems and Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2** Not applicable Critical Remote Code Execution Critical
Windows Media Services
Windows Media Services 9.1 on Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 Critical Remote Code Execution Not applicable Critical
Windows Media Services 9.1 on Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2 Critical Remote Code Execution Not applicable Critical
Windows Media Services 2008 on Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems and Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2* Critical Remote Code Execution Not applicable Critical
Windows Media Services 2008 on Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems and Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2* Critical Remote Code Execution Not applicable Critical

*Windows Server 2008 Server Core installation affected. For supported editions of Windows Server 2008, this update applies, with the same severity rating, whether or not Windows Server 2008 was installed using the Server Core installation option. For more information on this installation option, see Server Core. Note that the Server Core installation option does not apply to certain editions of Windows Server 2008; see Compare Server Core Installation Options.

**Windows Server 2008 Server Core installation not affected. The vulnerability addressed by this update does not affect supported editions of Windows Server 2008 if Windows Server 2008 was installed using the Server Core installation option. For more information on this installation option, see Server Core. Note that the Server Core installation option does not apply to certain editions of Windows Server 2008; see Compare Server Core Installation Options.

Windows Media Header Parsing Invalid Free Vulnerability - CVE-2009-2498

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Windows handles specially crafted ASF format files. This vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user opened a specially crafted file. If a user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2009-2498.

Mitigating Factors for Windows Media Header Parsing Invalid Free Vulnerability - CVE-2009-2498

Mitigation refers to a setting, common configuration, or general best-practice, existing in a default state, that could reduce the severity of exploitation of a vulnerability. The following mitigating factors may be helpful in your situation:

  • By default, Internet Explorer on Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 runs in a restricted mode that is known as Enhanced Security Configuration. This mode mitigates this vulnerability. See the FAQ section of this security update for more information about Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration.
  • An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
  • In a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a Web site that contains a Web page that is used to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised Web sites and Web sites that accept or host user-provided content or advertisements could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. In all cases, however, an attacker would have no way to force users to visit these Web sites. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link in an e-mail message or Instant Messenger message that takes users to the attacker’s Web site.
  • The malicious file could be sent as an e-mail attachment, but the attacker would have to convince the user to open the attachment in order to exploit the vulnerability.
  • Windows Media Services is an optional component on all Windows Platforms and is not installed by default.

Workarounds for Windows Media Header Parsing Invalid Free Vulnerability - CVE-2009-2498

Workaround refers to a setting or configuration change that does not correct the underlying vulnerability but would help block known attack vectors before you apply the update. Microsoft has tested the following workarounds and states in the discussion whether a workaround reduces functionality:

Restrict access to wmvcore.dll

For all supported 32-bit editions of Windows XP:

Run the following command from a command prompt:

cacls %SystemRoot%\System32\wmvcore.dll /E /P everyone:N

Impact of workaround. You will not be able to play media files in Windows Explorer or in Windows Media Player.

How to undo the workaround.

Run the following command from a command prompt:

cacls %SystemRoot%\System32\wmvcore.dll /E /R everyone

For all supported x64-based editions of Windows XP:

Run the following command from a command prompt:

cacls %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\wmvcore.dll /E /P everyone:N

Impact of workaround. You will not be able to play media files in Windows Explorer or in Windows Media Player.

How to undo the workaround.

Run the following command from a command prompt:

cacls %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\wmvcore.dll /E /R everyone

For all supported 32-bit editions of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008:

Run the following command from an elevated administrator command prompt:

takeown /f %SystemRoot%\System32\wmvcore.dll
cacls %SystemRoot%\System32\wmvcore.dll /E /P everyone:N

Impact of workaround. You will not be able to play media files in Windows Explorer or in Windows Media Player. Windows Media Player exits with an error.

How to undo the workaround.

Run the following command from an elevated administrator command prompt:

cacls %SystemRoot%\System32\wmvcore.dll /E /R everyone

For all supported x64-based editions of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008:

Run the following command from an elevated administrator command prompt:

takeown /f %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\wmvcore.dll
cacls %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\wmvcore.dll /E /P everyone:N

**Impact of workaround.**You will not be able to play media files in Windows Explorer or in Windows Media Player. Windows Media Player exits with an error.

How to undo the workaround.

Run the following command from an elevated administrator command prompt:

cacls %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\wmvcore.dll /E /R everyone

FAQ for Windows Media Header Parsing Invalid Free Vulnerability - CVE-2009-2498

What is the scope of the vulnerability? 
This is a remote code execution vulnerability. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system remotely. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.

What causes the vulnerability? 
The Windows component responsible for processing ASF files does not properly handle specially crafted ASF files with malformed headers.

What is Windows Media Format Runtime? 
The Microsoft Windows Media Format Runtime provides information and tools for applications that use Windows Media content.

What is Advanced Systems Format (ASF)? 
ASF is a file format that stores audio and video information and is specially designed to run over networks like the Internet. It is a compressed format that can contain streaming audio, video, slide shows, and synchronized events. ASF enables content to be delivered to you as a continuous flow of data. ASF files may have the file extensions ASF, WMV, or WMA.

What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do? 
If a user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability? 
Exploitation of this vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted ASF file or receive specially crafted streaming content from a Web site or any application that delivers Web content.

What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability? 
This vulnerability requires that a user is logged on and opens the specially crafted ASF file in any Windows Media Format Runtime-based application for any malicious action to occur. Therefore, any systems where Windows Media Format Runtime or Windows Media Server is used frequently, such as workstations or terminal servers, are at the most risk from this vulnerability.

I am running Internet Explorer for Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008. Does this mitigate this vulnerability? 
Yes. By default, Internet Explorer on Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 runs in a restricted mode that is known as Enhanced Security Configuration. Enhanced Security Configuration is a group of preconfigured settings in Internet Explorer that can reduce the likelihood of a user or administrator downloading and running specially crafted Web content on a server. This is a mitigating factor for Web sites that you have not added to the Internet Explorer Trusted sites zone. See also Managing Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration.

What does the update do? 
The update removes the vulnerability by modifying the way that Windows Media Format Runtime parses Advanced Systems Format (ASF) files.

When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed? 
No. Microsoft received information about this vulnerability through responsible 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 and had not seen any examples of proof of concept code published when this security bulletin was originally issued.

Windows Media Playback Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2009-2499

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Windows handles MP3 media files. This vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user opened a specially crafted file. If a user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2009-2499.

Mitigating Factors for Windows Media Playback Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2009-2499

Mitigation refers to a setting, common configuration, or general best-practice, existing in a default state, that could reduce the severity of exploitation of a vulnerability. The following mitigating factors may be helpful in your situation:

  • By default, Internet Explorer on Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 runs in a restricted mode that is known as Enhanced Security Configuration. This mode mitigates this vulnerability. See the FAQ section of this security update for more information about Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration.
  • An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
  • In a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a Web site that contains a Web page that is used to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised Web sites and Web sites that accept or host user-provided content or advertisements could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. In all cases, however, an attacker would have no way to force users to visit these Web sites. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link in an e-mail message or Instant Messenger message that takes users to the attacker’s Web site.
  • The malicious file could be sent as an e-mail attachment, but the attacker would have to convince the user to open the attachment in order to exploit the vulnerability.

Workarounds for Windows Media Playback Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2009-2499

Workaround refers to a setting or configuration change that does not correct the underlying vulnerability but would help block known attack vectors before you apply the update. Microsoft has tested the following workarounds and states in the discussion whether a workaround reduces functionality:

Restrict access to wmvcore.dll and mf.dll

For all supported 32-bit editions of Windows XP:

Run the following command from a command prompt:

cacls %SystemRoot%\System32\wmvcore.dll /E /P everyone:N

Impact of workaround. You will not be able to play media files in Windows Explorer or in Windows Media Player.

How to undo the workaround.

Run the following command from a command prompt:

cacls %SystemRoot%\System32\wmvcore.dll /E /R everyone

For all supported x64-based editions of Windows XP:

Run the following command from a command prompt:

cacls %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\wmvcore.dll /E /P everyone:N

Impact of workaround. You will not be able to play media files in Windows Explorer or in Windows Media Player.

How to undo the workaround.

Run the following command from a command prompt:

cacls %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\wmvcore.dll /E /Reveryone

For all supported 32-bit editions of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008:

Run the following command from an elevated administrator command prompt:

takeown /f %SystemRoot%\System32\wmvcore.dll
cacls %SystemRoot%\System32\wmvcore.dll /E /P everyone:N

takeown /f %SystemRoot%\System32\mf.dll
cacls %SystemRoot%\System32\mf.dll /E /P everyone:N

Impact of workaround. You will not be able to play media files in Windows Explorer or in Windows Media Player. Windows Media Player exits with an error.

How to undo the workaround.

Run the following command from an elevated administrator command prompt:

cacls %SystemRoot%\System32\wmvcore.dll /E /R everyone

cacls %SystemRoot%\System32\mf.dll /E /R everyone

For all supported x64-based editions of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008:

Run the following command from an elevated administrator command prompt:

takeown /f %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\wmvcore.dll
cacls %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\wmvcore.dll /E /R everyone:N

takeown /f %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\mf.dll
cacls %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\mf.dll /E /P everyone:N

Impact of workaround. You will not be able to play media files in Windows Explorer or in Windows Media Player. Windows Media Player exits with an error.

How to undo the workaround.

Run the following command from an elevated administrator command prompt:

cacls %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\wmvcore.dll /E /R everyone

cacls %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\mf.dll /E /R everyone

FAQ for Windows Media Playback Memory Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2009-2499

What is the scope of the vulnerability? 
This is a remote code execution vulnerability. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system remotely. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.

What causes the vulnerability? 
The Windows component responsible for processing MP3 files does not properly handle specially crafted metadata.

What is Windows Media Format Runtime? 
The Microsoft Windows Media Format Runtime provides information and tools for applications that use Windows Media content.

What is MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3)? 
MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 is a file format which uses lossy compression to compress audio information. Lossy compression is a technique in which decompressed data may be different from the data initially compressed, but similar enough to be parsed and represented. It is common in audio applications such as streaming media.

What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do? 
If a user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability? 
Exploitation of this vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted MP3 file or receive specially crafted streaming content from a Web site or any application that delivers Web content.

What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability? 
This vulnerability requires that a user is logged on and opens the specially crafted MP3 file in any Windows Media Format Runtime-based application for any malicious action to occur. Therefore, any systems where Windows Media Format Runtime is used frequently, such as workstations or terminal servers, are at the most risk from this vulnerability.

I am running Internet Explorer for Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008. Does this mitigate this vulnerability? 
Yes. By default, Internet Explorer on Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 runs in a restricted mode that is known as Enhanced Security Configuration. Enhanced Security Configuration is a group of preconfigured settings in Internet Explorer that can reduce the likelihood of a user or administrator downloading and running specially crafted Web content on a server. This is a mitigating factor for Web sites that you have not added to the Internet Explorer Trusted sites zone. See also Managing Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration

What does the update do? 
The update removes the vulnerability by modifying the way that Windows Media Format Runtime parses MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3) files.

When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed? 
No. Microsoft received information about this vulnerability through responsible 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 and had not seen any examples of proof of concept code published when this security bulletin was originally issued.

Update Information

Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance

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 Web site 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.

Note Microsoft discontinued support for Office Update and the Office Update Inventory Tool as of August 1, 2009. To continue getting the latest updates for Microsoft Office products, use Microsoft Update. For more information, see About Microsoft Office Update: Frequently Asked Questions.

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 2.1
Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 Yes
Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows XP Service Pack 3 Yes
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2 Yes
Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 Yes
Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2 Yes
Windows Server 2003 with SP2 for Itanium-based Systems Yes
Windows Vista, Windows Vista Service Pack 1, and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Yes
Windows Vista x64 Edition, Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 1, and Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 2 Yes
Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems and Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 Yes
Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems and Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 Yes

For more information about MBSA 2.1, see MBSA 2.1 Frequently Asked Questions.

Windows Server Update Services

By using Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), administrators can deploy the latest critical updates and security updates for Windows 2000 operating systems and later, Office XP and later, Exchange Server 2003, and SQL Server 2000. For more information about how to deploy this security update using Windows Server Update Services, visit the Windows Server Update Services Web site.

Systems Management Server

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

Software SMS 2.0 SMS 2003 with SUIT SMS 2003 with ITMU Configuration Manager 2007
Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 No No Yes Yes
Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows XP Service Pack 3 No No Yes Yes
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2 No No Yes Yes
Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 No No Yes Yes
Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2 No No Yes Yes
Windows Server 2003 with SP2 for Itanium-based Systems No No Yes Yes
Windows Vista, Windows Vista Service Pack 1, and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 No No See Note for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 below Yes
Windows Vista x64 Edition, Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 1, and Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 2 No No See Note for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 below Yes
Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems and Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 No No See Note for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 below Yes
Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems and Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 No No See Note for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 below Yes

For SMS 2.0 and SMS 2003, the Security Update Inventory Tool (SUIT) can be used by SMS to detect security updates. See also Downloads for Systems Management Server 2.0.

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.

Note for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 with Service Pack 3 includes support for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 manageability.

For more information about SMS, visit the SMS Web site.

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 Microsoft Windows Vista, a Windows Update, a Microsoft Security Update, or a new version of Windows Internet Explorer in your environment.

Security Update Deployment

Affected Software

For information about the specific security update for your affected software, click the appropriate link:

Windows 2000 (all editions)

Reference Table

The following table contains the security update information for this software. You can find additional information in the subsection, Deployment Information, in this section.

Inclusion in Future Service Packs The update for this issue may be included in a future update rollup
Deployment
Installing without user intervention For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.0 when installed on Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4:\ Windows2000-WindowsMedia-KB968816-x86-ENU /quiet
Installing without restarting For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.0 when installed on Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4:\ Windows2000-WindowsMedia-KB968816-x86-ENU /norestart
Update log file kb968816.log
Further information See the subsection, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance
Restart Requirement
Restart required? In some cases, this update does not require a restart. If the required files are being used, this update will require a restart. If this behavior occurs, a message appears that advises you to restart.\ \ To help reduce the chance that a restart will be required, stop all affected services and close all applications that may use the affected files prior to installing the security update. For more information about the reasons why you may be prompted to restart, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 887012.
HotPatching Not applicable
Removal Information Use Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel or the Spuninst.exe utility located in the %Windir%$NTUninstallKB968816_WM9$\Spuninst folder
File Information See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 968816
Registry Key Verification HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows Media Player\KB968816_WM9\ \ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows Media Player\SP0\KB968816_WM9\Filelist

Deployment Information

Installing the Update

For more information about the installer, visit the Microsoft TechNet Web site.

For more information about the terminology that appears in this bulletin, such as hotfix, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 824684.

This security update supports the following setup switches.

Switch Description
/help Displays the command-line options.
Setup Modes
/passive Unattended Setup mode. No user interaction is required, but installation status is displayed. If a restart is required at the end of Setup, a dialog box will be presented to the user with a timer warning that the computer will restart in 30 seconds.
/quiet Quiet mode. This is the same as unattended mode, but no status or error messages are displayed.
Restart Options
/norestart Does not restart when installation has completed.
/forcerestart Restarts the computer after installation and force other applications to close at shutdown without saving open files first.
/warnrestart[:x] Presents a dialog box with a timer warning the user that the computer will restart in x seconds. (The default setting is 30 seconds.) Intended for use with the /quiet switch or the /passive switch.
/promptrestart Displays a dialog box prompting the local user to allow a restart.
Special Options
/overwriteoem Overwrites OEM files without prompting.
/nobackup Does not back up files needed for uninstall.
/forceappsclose Forces other programs to close when the computer shuts down.
/log:path Allows the redirection of installation log files.
/extract[:path] Extracts files without starting the Setup program.
/ER Enables extended error reporting.
/verbose Enables verbose logging. During installation, creates %Windir%\CabBuild.log. This log details the files that are copied. Using this switch may cause the installation to proceed more slowly.

Note You can combine these switches into one command. For backward compatibility, the security update also supports the setup switches that the earlier version of the Setup program uses. For more information about the supported installation switches, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 262841.

Removing the Update

This security update supports the following setup switches.

Switch Description
/help Displays the command-line options.
Setup Modes
/passive Unattended Setup mode. No user interaction is required, but un-installation status is displayed. If a restart is required at the end of Setup, a dialog box will be presented to the user with a timer warning that the computer will restart in 30 seconds.
/quiet Quiet mode. This is the same as unattended mode, but no status or error messages are displayed.
Restart Options
/norestart Does not restart when un-installation has completed.
/forcerestart Restarts the computer after un-installation and force other applications to close at shutdown without saving open files first.
/warnrestart[:x] Presents a dialog box with a timer warning the user that the computer will restart in x seconds. (The default setting is 30 seconds.) Intended for use with the /quiet switch or the /passive switch.
/promptrestart Displays a dialog box prompting the local user to allow a restart.
Special Options
/forceappsclose Forces other programs to close when the computer shuts down.
/log:path Allows the redirection of installation log files.

Verifying That the Update Has Been Applied

  • Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer

    To verify that a security update has been applied to an affected system, you may be able to use the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) tool. See the section, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance, earlier in this bulletin for more information.

  • File Version Verification

    Because there are several editions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your system. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.

    1. Click Start, and then click Search.

    2. In the Search Results pane, click All files and folders under Search Companion.

    3. In the All or part of the file name box, type a file name from the appropriate file information table, and then click Search.

    4. In the list of files, right-click a file name from the appropriate file information table, and then click Properties.

      Note Depending on the edition of the operating system, or the programs that are installed on your system, some of the files that are listed in the file information table may not be installed.

    5. On the Version tab, determine the version of the file that is installed on your system by comparing it to the version that is documented in the appropriate file information table.

      Note Attributes other than the file version may change during installation. Comparing other file attributes to the information in the file information table is not a supported method of verifying that the update has been applied. Also, in certain cases, files may be renamed during installation. If the file or version information is not present, use one of the other available methods to verify update installation.

  • Registry Key Verification

    You may also be able to verify the files that this security update has installed by reviewing the registry keys listed in the Reference Table in this section.

    These registry keys may not contain a complete list of installed files. Also, these registry keys may not be created correctly when an administrator or an OEM integrates or slipstreams this security update into the Windows installation source files.

Windows XP (all editions)

Reference Table

The following table contains the security update information for this software. You can find additional information in the subsection, Deployment Information, in this section.

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 Windows Media Format Runtime 9.0 on Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 and Windows Media Format Runtime 11 when installed on Windows XP Service Pack 2:\ WindowsXP-SP2-WindowsMedia-KB968816-x86-ENU /quiet
For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.0 on Windows XP Service Pack 3 and Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 and Windows Media Format Runtime 11 when installed on Windows XP Service Pack 3:\ WindowsXP-WindowsMedia-KB968816-x86-ENU /quiet
For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 on Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ WindowsServer2003.WindowsXP-KB968816-x64-ENU /quiet
For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 x64 Edition when installed on Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ WindowsMedia10-KB968816-x64-ENU /quiet
For Windows Media Format Runtime 11 when installed on Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ WindowsMedia11-KB968816-x64-ENU /quiet
Installing without restarting For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.0 on Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 and Windows Media Format Runtime 11 when installed on Windows XP Service Pack 2:\ WindowsXP-SP2-WindowsMedia-KB968816-x86-ENU /norestart
For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.0 on Windows XP Service Pack 3 and Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 and Windows Media Format Runtime 11 when installed on Windows XP Service Pack 3:\ WindowsXP-WindowsMedia-KB968816-x86-ENU /norestart
For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 on Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ WindowsServer2003.WindowsXP-KB968816-x64-ENU /norestart
For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 x64 Edition when installed on Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ WindowsMedia10-KB968816-x64-ENU /norestart
For Windows Media Format Runtime 11 when installed on Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ WindowsMedia11-KB968816-x64-ENU /norestart
Update log file KB968816.log
Further information See the subsection, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance
Restart Requirement
Restart required? In some cases, this update does not require a restart. If the required files are being used, this update will require a restart. If this behavior occurs, a message appears that advises you to restart.\ \ To help reduce the chance that a restart will be required, stop all affected services and close all applications that may use the affected files prior to installing the security update. For more information about the reasons why you may be prompted to restart, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 887012.
HotPatching Not applicable
Removal Information Use Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel or the Spuninst.exe utility located in the following folders:\ \ For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.0 on Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows XP Service Pack 3 and Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 and Windows Media Format Runtime 11 when installed on Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows XP Service Pack 3:\ %Windir%$NTUninstallKB968816_WM9$\Spuninst\ \ For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 on Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ %Windir%$NTUninstallKB968816$\Spuninst\ \ For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 x64 Edition when installed on Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ %Windir%$NTUninstallKB968816_WM10Lx64$\Spuninst\ \ For Windows Media Format Runtime 11 when installed on Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ %Windir%$NTUninstallKB968816_WM11x64$\Spuninst
File Information See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 968816
Registry Key Verification For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.0 on Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows XP Service Pack 3 and Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 and Windows Media Format Runtime 11 when installed on Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows XP Service Pack 3:\ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows Media Player\KB968816_WM9\ \ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows Media Player\SP0\KB968816_WM9
For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 on Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP Version 2003\SP3\KB968816\Filelist
For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 x64 Edition when installed on Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK\KB968816_WM10Lx64\ \ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK\SP0\KB968816_WM10Lx64\Filelist
For Windows Media Format Runtime 11 when installed on Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows Media Format 11 SDK\KB968816_WM11x64\ \ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows Media Format 11 SDK\SP0\KB968816_WM11x64\Filelist

Note For supported versions of Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, this security update is the same as supported versions of the Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition security update.

Deployment Information

Installing the Update

This security update supports the following setup switches.

Switch Description
/help Displays the command-line options.
Setup Modes
/passive Unattended Setup mode. No user interaction is required, but installation status is displayed. If a restart is required at the end of Setup, a dialog box will be presented to the user with a timer warning that the computer will restart in 30 seconds.
/quiet Quiet mode. This is the same as unattended mode, but no status or error messages are displayed.
Restart Options
/norestart Does not restart when installation has completed.
/forcerestart Restarts the computer after installation and force other applications to close at shutdown without saving open files first.
/warnrestart[:x] Presents a dialog box with a timer warning the user that the computer will restart in x seconds. (The default setting is 30 seconds.) Intended for use with the /quiet switch or the /passive switch.
/promptrestart Displays a dialog box prompting the local user to allow a restart.
Special Options
/overwriteoem Overwrites OEM files without prompting.
/nobackup Does not back up files needed for uninstall.
/forceappsclose Forces other programs to close when the computer shuts down.
/log:path Allows the redirection of installation log files.
/integrate:path Integrates the update into the Windows source files. These files are located at the path that is specified in the switch.
/extract[:path] Extracts files without starting the Setup program.
/ER Enables extended error reporting.
/verbose Enables verbose logging. During installation, creates %Windir%\CabBuild.log. This log details the files that are copied. Using this switch may cause the installation to proceed more slowly.

Note You can combine these switches into one command. For backward compatibility, the security update also supports the setup switches that the earlier version of the Setup program uses. For more information about the supported installation switches, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 262841.

Removing the Update

This security update supports the following setup switches.

Switch Description
/help Displays the command-line options.
Setup Modes
/passive Unattended Setup mode. No user interaction is required, but installation status is displayed. If a restart is required at the end of Setup, a dialog box will be presented to the user with a timer warning that the computer will restart in 30 seconds.
/quiet Quiet mode. This is the same as unattended mode, but no status or error messages are displayed.
Restart Options
/norestart Does not restart when installation has completed
/forcerestart Restarts the computer after installation and force other applications to close at shutdown without saving open files first.
/warnrestart[:x] Presents a dialog box with a timer warning the user that the computer will restart in x seconds. (The default setting is 30 seconds.) Intended for use with the /quiet switch or the /passive switch.
/promptrestart Displays a dialog box prompting the local user to allow a restart.
Special Options
/forceappsclose Forces other programs to close when the computer shuts down.
/log:path Allows the redirection of installation log files.

Verifying That the Update Has Been Applied

  • Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer

    To verify that a security update has been applied to an affected system, you may be able to use the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) tool. See the section, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance, earlier in this bulletin for more information.

  • File Version Verification

    Because there are several editions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your system. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.

    1. Click Start, and then click Search.

    2. In the Search Results pane, click All files and folders under Search Companion.

    3. In the All or part of the file name box, type a file name from the appropriate file information table, and then click Search.

    4. In the list of files, right-click a file name from the appropriate file information table, and then click Properties.

      Note Depending on the edition of the operating system, or the programs that are installed on your system, some of the files that are listed in the file information table may not be installed.

    5. On the Version tab, determine the version of the file that is installed on your system by comparing it to the version that is documented in the appropriate file information table.

      Note Attributes other than the file version may change during installation. Comparing other file attributes to the information in the file information table is not a supported method of verifying that the update has been applied. Also, in certain cases, files may be renamed during installation. If the file or version information is not present, use one of the other available methods to verify update installation.

  • Registry Key Verification

    You may also be able to verify the files that this security update has installed by reviewing the registry keys listed in the Reference Table in this section.

    These registry keys may not contain a complete list of installed files. Also, these registry keys may not be created correctly when an administrator or an OEM integrates or slipstreams this security update into the Windows installation source files.

Windows Server 2003 (all editions)

Reference Table

The following table contains the security update information for this software. You can find additional information in the subsection, Deployment Information, in this section.

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 Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 on Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2:\ WindowsServer2003-KB968816-x86-ENU /quiet
For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 on Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ WindowsServer2003.WindowsXP-KB968816-x64-ENU /quiet
For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 x64 Edition when installed on Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ WindowsMedia10-KB968816-x64-ENU /quiet
For Windows Media Services 9.1 on Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2:\ WindowsServer2003-KB972554-x86-ENU /quiet
For Windows Media Services 9.1 on Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ WindowsServer2003.WindowsXP-KB972554-x64-ENU /quiet
Installing without restarting For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 on Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2:\ WindowsServer2003-KB968816-x86-ENU /norestart
For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 on Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ WindowsServer2003.WindowsXP-KB968816-x64-ENU /norestart
For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 x64 Edition when installed on Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ WindowsMedia10-KB968816-x64-ENU /norestart
For Windows Media Services 9.1 on Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2:\ WindowsServer2003-KB972554-x86-ENU /norestart
For Windows Media Services 9.1 on Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ WindowsServer2003.WindowsXP-KB972554-x64-ENU /norestart
Update log file For Windows Media Format Runtime:\ KB968816.log\ \ For Windows Media Services:\ KB972554.log
Further information See the subsection, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance
Restart Requirement
Restart required? In some cases, this update does not require a restart. If the required files are being used, this update will require a restart. If this behavior occurs, a message appears that advises you to restart.\ \ To help reduce the chance that a restart will be required, stop all affected services and close all applications that may use the affected files prior to installing the security update. For more information about the reasons why you may be prompted to restart, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 887012.
HotPatching This security update does not support HotPatching. For more information about HotPatching, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 897341.
Removal Information Use Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel or the Spuninst.exe utility located in the following folders:\ \ For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 on Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ %Windir%$NTUninstallKB968816$\Spuninst\ \ For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 x64 Edition when installed on Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ %Windir%$NTUninstallKB968816_WM10Lx64$\Spuninst\ \ For Windows Media Services 9.1 on Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ %Windir%$NTUninstallKB972554$\Spuninst
File Information For Windows Media Format Runtime:\ See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 968816\ \ For Windows Media Services:\ See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 972554
Registry Key Verification For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 on Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows Server 2003\SP3\KB968816\Filelist
For Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 x64 Edition when installed on Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK\KB968816_WM10Lx64\ \ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK\SP0\KB968816_WM10Lx64\Filelist
For Windows Media Services 9.1 on Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2:\ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows Server 2003\SP3\KB972554\Filelist

Deployment Information

Installing the Update

When you install this security update, the installer checks to see if one or more of the files that are being updated on your system have previously been updated by a Microsoft hotfix.

If you have previously installed a hotfix to update one of these files, the installer copies the RTMQFE, SP1QFE, or SP2QFE files to your system. Otherwise, the installer copies the RTMGDR, SP1GDR, or SP2GDR files to your system. Security updates may not contain all variations of these files. For more information about this behavior, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 824994.

For more information about the installer, visit the Microsoft TechNet Web site.

For more information about the terminology that appears in this bulletin, such as hotfix, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 824684.

This security update supports the following setup switches.

Switch Description
/help Displays the command-line options.
Setup Modes
/passive Unattended Setup mode. No user interaction is required, but installation status is displayed. If a restart is required at the end of Setup, a dialog box will be presented to the user with a timer warning that the computer will restart in 30 seconds.
/quiet Quiet mode. This is the same as unattended mode, but no status or error messages are displayed.
Restart Options
/norestart Does not restart when installation has completed.
/forcerestart Restarts the computer after installation and force other applications to close at shutdown without saving open files first.
/warnrestart[:x] Presents a dialog box with a timer warning the user that the computer will restart in x seconds. (The default setting is 30 seconds.) Intended for use with the /quiet switch or the /passive switch.
/promptrestart Displays a dialog box prompting the local user to allow a restart.
Special Options
/overwriteoem Overwrites OEM files without prompting.
/nobackup Does not back up files needed for uninstall.
/forceappsclose Forces other programs to close when the computer shuts down.
/log:path Allows the redirection of installation log files.
/integrate:path Integrates the update into the Windows source files. These files are located at the path that is specified in the switch.
/extract[:path] Extracts files without starting the Setup program.
/ER Enables extended error reporting.
/verbose Enables verbose logging. During installation, creates %Windir%\CabBuild.log. This log details the files that are copied. Using this switch may cause the installation to proceed more slowly.

Note You can combine these switches into one command. For backward compatibility, the security update also supports many of the setup switches that the earlier version of the Setup program uses. For more information about the supported installation switches, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 262841.

Removing the Update

This security update supports the following setup switches.

Switch Description
/help Displays the command-line options.
Setup Modes
/passive Unattended Setup mode. No user interaction is required, but installation status is displayed. If a restart is required at the end of Setup, a dialog box will be presented to the user with a timer warning that the computer will restart in 30 seconds.
/quiet Quiet mode. This is the same as unattended mode, but no status or error messages are displayed.
Restart Options
/norestart Does not restart when installation has completed.
/forcerestart Restarts the computer after installation and force other applications to close at shutdown without saving open files first.
/warnrestart[:x] Presents a dialog box with a timer warning the user that the computer will restart in x seconds. (The default setting is 30 seconds.) Intended for use with the /quiet switch or the /passive switch.
/promptrestart Displays a dialog box prompting the local user to allow a restart.
Special Options
/forceappsclose Forces other programs to close when the computer shuts down.
/log:path Allows the redirection of installation log files.

Verifying that the Update Has Been Applied

  • Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer

    To verify that a security update has been applied to an affected system, you may be able to use the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) tool. See the section, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance, earlier in this bulletin for more information.

  • File Version Verification

    Because there are several editions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your system. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.

    1. Click Start, and then click Search.

    2. In the Search Results pane, click All files and folders under Search Companion.

    3. In the All or part of the file name box, type a file name from the appropriate file information table, and then click Search.

    4. In the list of files, right-click a file name from the appropriate file information table, and then click Properties.

      Note Depending on the edition of the operating system, or the programs that are installed on your system, some of the files that are listed in the file information table may not be installed.

    5. On the Version tab, determine the version of the file that is installed on your system by comparing it to the version that is documented in the appropriate file information table.

      Note Attributes other than the file version may change during installation. Comparing other file attributes to the information in the file information table is not a supported method of verifying that the update has been applied. Also, in certain cases, files may be renamed during installation. If the file or version information is not present, use one of the other available methods to verify update installation.

  • Registry Key Verification

    You may also be able to verify the files that this security update has installed by reviewing the registry keys listed in the Reference Table in this section.

    These registry keys may not contain a complete list of installed files. Also, these registry keys may not be created correctly when an administrator or an OEM integrates or slipstreams this security update into the Windows installation source files.

Windows Vista (all editions)

Reference Table

The following table contains the security update information for this software. You can find additional information in the subsection, Deployment Information, in this section.

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-KB968816-x86 /quiet\ \ For all supported x64-based editions of Windows Vista:\ Windows6.0-KB968816-x64 /quiet
Installing without restarting For all supported 32-bit editions of Windows Vista:\ Windows6.0-KB968816-x86 /quiet /norestart\ \ For all supported x64-based editions of Windows Vista:\ Windows6.0-KB968816-x64 /quiet /norestart
Further information See the subsection, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance
Restart Requirement
Restart required? This update does not require a restart. The installer stops the required services, applies the update, and then restarts the services. However, if the required services cannot be stopped for any reason, or if required files are being used, this update will require a restart. If this behavior occurs, a message appears that advises you to restart.
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 968816
Registry Key Verification Note A registry key does not exist to validate the presence of this update.

Deployment Information

Installing the Update

When you install this security update, the installer checks whether one or more of the files that are being updated on your system have previously been updated by a Microsoft hotfix.

For more information about the terminology that appears in this bulletin, such as hotfix, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 824684.

This security update supports the following setup 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.

Note For more information about the wusa.exe installer, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 934307.

Verifying That the Update Has Been Applied

  • Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer

    To verify that a security update has been applied to an affected system, you may be able to use the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) tool. See the section, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance, earlier in this bulletin for more information.

  • File Version Verification

    Because there are several editions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your system. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.

    1. Click Start and then enter an update file name in Start Search.
    2. When the file appears under Programs, right-click on the file name and click Properties.
    3. Under the General tab, compare the file size with the file information tables provided in the bulletin KB article.
    4. You may also click on the Details tab and compare information, such as file version and date modified, with the file information tables provided in the bulletin KB article.
    5. Finally, you may also click on the Previous Versions tab and compare file information for the previous version of the file with the file information for the new, or updated, version of the file.

Windows Server 2008 (all editions)

Reference Table

The following table contains the security update information for this software. You can find additional information in the subsection, Deployment Information, in this section.

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 Windows Media Format Runtime 11 and Microsoft Media Foundation on Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems and Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2:\ Windows6.0-KB968816-x86 /quiet\ \ For Windows Media Format Runtime 11 and Microsoft Media Foundation on Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems and Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2:\ Windows6.0-KB968816-x64 /quiet\ \ For Windows Media Services 2008 on Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems and Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2:\ Windows6.0-KB972554-x86 /quiet\ \ For Windows Media Services 2008 on Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems and Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2:\ Windows6.0-KB972554-x64 /quiet
Installing without restarting For Windows Media Format Runtime 11 and Microsoft Media Foundation on Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems and Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2:\ Windows6.0-KB968816-x86 /quiet /norestart\ \ For Windows Media Format Runtime 11 and Microsoft Media Foundation on Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems and Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2:\ Windows6.0-KB968816-x64 /quiet /norestart\ \ For Windows Media Services 2008 on Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems and Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2:\ Windows6.0-KB972554-x86 /quiet /norestart\ \ For Windows Media Services 2008 on Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems and Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2:\ Windows6.0-KB972554-x64 /quiet /norestart
Further information See the subsection, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance
Restart Requirement
Restart required? This update does not require a restart. The installer stops the required services, applies the update, and then restarts the services. However, if the required services cannot be stopped for any reason, or if required files are being used, this update will require a restart. If this behavior occurs, a message appears that advises you to restart.
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 For Windows Media Format Runtime and Microsoft Media Foundation:\ See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 968816\ \ For Windows Media Services:\ See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 972554
Registry Key Verification Note A registry key does not exist to validate the presence of this update.

Deployment Information

Installing the Update

When you install this security update, the installer checks whether one or more of the files that are being updated on your system have previously been updated by a Microsoft hotfix.

For more information about the terminology that appears in this bulletin, such as hotfix, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 824684.

This security update supports the following setup 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.

Note For more information about the wusa.exe installer, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 934307.

Verifying That the Update Has Been Applied

  • Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer

    To verify that a security update has been applied to an affected system, you may be able to use the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) tool. See the section, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance, earlier in this bulletin for more information.

  • File Version Verification

    Because there are several editions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your system. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.

    1. Click Start and then enter an update file name in Start Search.
    2. When the file appears under Programs, right-click on the file name and click Properties.
    3. Under the General tab, compare the file size with the file information tables provided in the bulletin KB article.
    4. You may also click on the Details tab and compare information, such as file version and date modified, with the file information tables provided in the bulletin KB article.
    5. Finally, you may also click on the Previous Versions tab and compare file information for the previous version of the file with the file information for the new, or updated, version of the file.

Other Information

Acknowledgments

Microsoft thanks the following for working with us to help protect customers:

  • Peter Winter-Smith of NGS Software for reporting the Windows Media Header Parsing Invalid Free Vulnerability (CVE-2009-2498)
  • Hiroshi Noguchi of Alice Carroll fan club for reporting the Windows Media Playback Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2009-2499)

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 Web sites provided by program partners, listed in Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP) Partners.

Support

  • Customers in the U.S. and Canada can receive technical support from Security Support or 1-866-PCSAFETY. There is no charge for support calls that are associated with security updates. For more information about available support options, see Microsoft Help and Support.
  • International customers can receive support from their local Microsoft subsidiaries. There is no charge for support that is associated with security updates. For more information about how to contact Microsoft for support issues, visit the International Support Web site.

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 (September 8, 2009): Bulletin published.
  • V1.1 (September 16, 2009): Corrected the list of bulletins replaced by the update for Windows Media Format Runtime, under Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003.

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