Network Computing is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

  1. Home
  2. Careers-and-certifications
  3. Hackers Hunt Down Unpatched Microsoft Servers
Careers and Certifications

Hackers Hunt Down Unpatched Microsoft Servers

Hackers are stepping up attacks on Microsoft servers, including Windows Server 2003, in order to exploit a recently patched WINS security bug.
January 04, 2005

A vulnerability within Microsoft's WINS (Windows Internet Naming Service), a component of popular server software such as Windows Server 2003, has been heavily exploited since the last day of 2004, several security organizations reported Tuesday.

Although the
vulnerability was patched in mid-December by Microsoft, the Internet Storm Center and the Research and Education Networking Information Sharing and Analysis Center (REN-ISAC) at the Indiana University have seen a drastic increase in the number of probes directed at WINS services (TCP and UDP ports 42).

"Patching these systems is now overdue," said the SAN Institute's Internet Storm Center in an online alert.

"Additionally, WINS services probably should not cross your border router...so block these ports and keep the rif-raf out in case your local Windows Server Admins have not patched for this," the Center continued.

The patch for the WINS issue can be found on Microsoft's Web site.

Tags:

News
Careers and Certifications