A flaw in the way Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system
handles help files could let an attacker hijack a targeted
computer, security experts say.
The flaw would allow a malicious individual to supply a specially
crafted Windows Help file with data that would overflow parts of a
computer's memory, breaching security and allowing the attacker to
run software at will on the affected machine, security software
vendor Symantec Corp. said in an advisory Thursday.
The exploit would require a person to open the malicious file, but
even failed attack attempts could lock up the system, according to
a detailed entry on Symantec's SecurityFocus site.
CBC News Online did not find any mention of the reported
vulnerability on Microsoft's own security or related technical
information sites, and Microsoft spokespeople were not immediately
available for comment.
Because Symantec has received no reports of attacks that make use
of the weakness, the company gave the issue a "very low" risk
rating its lowest ranking on a five-point scale.
"At this point we have not seen this vulnerability actively
exploited in the wild, but since there is no vendor-supplied patch
available, we would urge that users continue to remain vigilant,
keep your security products up to date, follow safe computing
guidelines and refrain from opening .hlp files received from
unsolicited or dubious sources," Symantec researcher Hon Lau wrote
on Symantec's Security Response weblog Thursday.
On April 3, Microsoft rushed out a security patch to address a
vulnerability in the way that its operating system handles animated
cursors or pointers that had initially been regarded as a low-risk
threat.
Symantec noted that it had issued an update to its anti-malware
software that can detect attempts to exploit the new help file
vulnerability.
The flaw affects multiple versions of Microsoft's operating system,
including Windows 95, 98, 2000, ME, NT, Server 2003 and XP. The
latest Vista version of Windows is not affected.
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After having a mouse hijack, we now have help files hijack.
