Bugtraq mailing list archives
Re: Windows Update (re-)installs outdated Flash ActiveX on Windows XP
From: "Andrew Kuriger" <a.kuriger () liquidphlux com>
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:59:06 -0500 (CDT)
Hello All, I have seen and reproduced the behavior that was originally posted by Stefan. I believe the only reason that your browser is using flash10b.ocx is because you installed flash player 10. The KB update that gets pushed down via updates is an older version that does not overwrite the current install if the current install is newer. I noticed this as recently as 4 days ago but really didn't think anything of it since I knew I would install the latest version anyway. I am kind of surprised that so close after I updated (when I noticed this) that there was a post on Bugtrac so close after, although until it starts overwriting the "new" with the old I really don't see a major problem. More of "huh weird" issue that MS would still be deploying such an old (and even older regarding SP3) version. Andrew On 4/22/2009, "Vladimir '3APA3A' Dubrovin" <3APA3A () SECURITY NNOV RU> wrote:
Dear Stefan Kanthak, As far as I can see, Internet Explorer actually uses flash10b.ocx. Adobe Flash Player 10.0 r22 --Monday, April 20, 2009, 8:17:24 PM, you wrote to bugtraq () securityfocus com: SK> Windows Update (as well as Microsoft Update and the Automatic Update) SK> installs an outdated (and from its manufacturer unsupported) Flash SK> Player ActiveX control on Windows XP. SK> Although this fact is nothing really new it but shows the lack of taking SK> care for security problems and in general the chuzpe of many software SK> "producers" to ship their "products" with outdated and often vulnerable SK> components. SK> The ouverture: SK> * Windows XP RTM (i.e. the original release version without any service SK> packs) installs a Flash Player ActiveX control SWFLASH.OCX v5.0r42 SK> * Windows XP Service Pack 1 updates the SWFLASH.OCX to v5.0r44 SK> * Windows XP Service Pack 2 (released in August 2004) replaces the SK> SWFLASH.OCX with FLASH.OCX v6.0r79 SK> * security update KB913433 (see SK> <http://support.microsoft.com/kb/913433> SK> and SK> <http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms06-020.mspx>) SK> updates FLASH.OCX to 6.0r84 SK> * security update KB923789 (see SK> <http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923789> SK> and SK> <http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms06-069.mspx>) SK> updates FLASH.OCX to 6.0r88 SK> * Windows XP Service Pack 3 (released in April 2008) contains the same SK> FLASH.OCX v6.0r79 as Service Pack 2, i.e. none of the security updates SK> published after Service Pack 2 were incorporated! SK> The MSKB article KB948460 but STILL states wrong that KB913433 (sic!) SK> is included in Service Pack 3 SK> To my knowledge Adobe stopped direct support for Flash Player 6 in late SK> 2005, the newest version of Flash Player ActiveX 6.0 available on their SK> web site <http://www.adobe.com/go/tn_14266> is 6.0r79 from 2005-11-11. SK> Later versions of Flash Player ActiveX 6.0 were available from Microsoft SK> only: SK> <http://www.adobe.com/devnet/security/security_zone/apsb06-03.html> SK> and <http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb06-11.html> SK> I doubt that these outdated Flash Player ActiveX controls are safe and SK> not vulnerable to current exploits, so Microsoft puts it's customers SK> clearly at risk. SK> The unhappy end: SK> * Start with a fully patched Windows XP with Service Pack 3 AND the SK> current Adobe Flash Player ActiveX v10.0r22.87 installed. SK> Since recent Flash Player installers remove any older versions of the SK> ActiveX control this means that neither FLASH.OCX nor SWFLASH.OCX are SK> present in %SystemRoot%\System32\Macromed\ or SK> %SystemRoot%\System32\Macromed\Flash\ SK> * Install an arbitrary software product that installs a Flash Player SK> ActiveX prior to 6.0r88 (there are MANY software products that do so). SK> For example, get the current MSN CD-ROM "MSN 9.6-PROD", part no. SK> X14-85160-02 DE from Microsoft; this CD-ROM contains the product SK> "Digital Image Standard Edition 2006" v11.1 from 2007-01-29, which SK> installs an outdated and VULNERABLE FLASH.OCX v6.0r29 to SK> %SystemRoot%\System32\Macromed\! SK> Note that the installer was created AFTER KB923789, which but was not SK> incorporated. Does Microsoft really care about security? SK> If you dont want to order the MSN CD-ROM a trial version of "Digital SK> Image Starter Edition 2006" is available from SK> SK> <http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=7c3b3ded-a15f-48c5-b724-7796fe8c151e> SK> If you dont want to install such a big product either, get the SK> Windows Update KB913433 from SK> SK> <http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=B2B8F9A8-4874-405A-9F0C-768B2631673A> SK> extract the Flash Player ActiveX installer INSTALL_FP6_WU.EXE from SK> the package and run the installer. SK> The attempt to install a Flash Player ActiveX prior to 6.0r88 over a SK> later version does not YET any harm, since starting with 6.0r88 Adobe SK> sets deny ACLs on the SK> %SystemRoot%\System32\Macromed\Flash\FLASH*.OCX SK> as well as all the registry entries which prevent earlier Flash Player SK> ActiveX installers to overwrite them, so any Flash Player ActiveX SK> 6.0r88 and later is preserved. SK> Any of the above mentioned products but installs the previously not SK> existent file %SystemRoot%\System32\Macromed\Flash\FLASH*.OCX SK> * Visit <http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/> (or wait till the daily SK> run of the Automatic Update) and install the Windows Update KB923789. SK> This but DOES harm: since the Flash Player ActiveX installer that has SK> been wrapped in KB923789 (re-)sets the ACLs it overwrites the registry SK> entries of the newer/recent Flash Player ActiveX. DAMAGE DONE! SK> I informed Microsoft in the last two years several times about this SK> problem and discussed it with various members of their Microsoft Security SK> Response Center, but the problem persists. SK> Stefan Kanthak -- Skype: Vladimir.Dubrovin ~/ZARAZA http://securityvulns.com/ Âïðî÷åì, âàæíåå âñåãî - àëãîðèòì! (Ëåì)
Current thread:
- Windows Update (re-)installs outdated Flash ActiveX on Windows XP Stefan Kanthak (Apr 20)
- Re: Windows Update (re-)installs outdated Flash ActiveX on Windows XP Vladimir '3APA3A' Dubrovin (Apr 22)
- Re: Windows Update (re-)installs outdated Flash ActiveX on Windows XP Andrew Kuriger (Apr 23)
- Re: Windows Update (re-)installs outdated Flash ActiveX on Windows XP Vladimir '3APA3A' Dubrovin (Apr 22)