From owner-bugtraq@SECURITYFOCUS.COM Wed Oct 20 15:53:37 1999
Return-Path: <owner-bugtraq@SECURITYFOCUS.COM>
Delivered-To: gia@RUINER.YPS.ORG
Received: (qmail 30954 invoked from network); 20 Oct 1999 20:53:37 -0000
Received: from lists.securityfocus.com (207.126.127.68)
  by el01-24-131-159-40.ce.mediaone.net with SMTP; 20 Oct 1999 20:53:37 -0000
Received: from lists.securityfocus.com (lists.securityfocus.com [207.126.127.68])
  by lists.securityfocus.com (Postfix) with ESMTP
  id 07F9B1F887; Wed, 20 Oct 1999 13:46:17 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from LISTS.SECURITYFOCUS.COM by LISTS.SECURITYFOCUS.COM
          (LISTSERV-TCP/IP release 1.8d) with spool id 661180 for
          BUGTRAQ@LISTS.SECURITYFOCUS.COM; Wed, 20 Oct 1999 13:44:58 -0700
Approved-By: aleph1@SECURITYFOCUS.COM
Delivered-To: bugtraq@lists.securityfocus.com
Received: from securityfocus.com (securityfocus.com [207.126.127.66]) by
          lists.securityfocus.com (Postfix) with SMTP id 606861EF40 for
          <bugtraq@lists.securityfocus.com>; Wed, 20 Oct 1999 13:32:55 -0700
          (PDT)
Received: (qmail 18260 invoked by alias); 20 Oct 1999 20:32:55 -0000
Delivered-To: bugtraq@securityfocus.com
Received: (qmail 18257 invoked from network); 20 Oct 1999 20:32:55 -0000
Received: from underground.org (209.179.181.153) by securityfocus.com with
          SMTP; 20 Oct 1999 20:32:55 -0000
Received: (qmail 4481 invoked by uid 500); 20 Oct 1999 21:40:01 -0000
Received: (qmail 4366 invoked from network); 20 Oct 1999 20:51:58 -0000
Received: from dfw.nationwide.net (198.175.15.10) by underground.org with SMTP;
          20 Oct 1999 20:51:58 -0000
Received: from grape.ease.lsoft.com (grape.ease.lsoft.com [209.119.1.39]) by
          dfw.nationwide.net (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id OAA19588; Wed, 20 Oct
          1999 14:43:14 -0500 (CDT)
Received: from guava (209.119.0.39) by grape.ease.lsoft.com (LSMTP for OpenVMS
          v1.1b) with SMTP id <1.0006B81F@grape.ease.lsoft.com>; Wed, 20 Oct
          1999 15:38:20 -0500
Received: from ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM by ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM
          (LISTSERV-TCP/IP release 1.8d) with spool id 48954 for
          MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM; Wed, 20 Oct 1999 15:37:06
          -0400
Approved-By: secnotif@MICROSOFT.COM
Received: from 131.107.3.124 by GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (SMTPL release 1.0d) with
          TCP; Wed, 20 Oct 1999 15:33:54 -0400
Received: from 157.54.9.104 by inet-vrs-02.microsoft.com (InterScan E-Mail
          VirusWall NT); Wed, 20 Oct 1999 12:36:39 -0700 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Received: by INET-IMC-02 with Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) id
          <VHVLMCH5>; Wed, 20 Oct 1999 12:36:39 -0700
X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21)
Message-ID:  <19991020214001.4480.qmail@underground.org>
Date:         Wed, 20 Oct 1999 14:40:01 -0700
Reply-To: aleph1@UNDERGROUND.ORG
Sender: Bugtraq List <BUGTRAQ@SECURITYFOCUS.COM>
Comments:     Resent-From: aleph1@underground.org
Comments:     Originally-From: Microsoft Product Security
              <secnotif@MICROSOFT.COM>
From: Aleph One <aleph1@UNDERGROUND.ORG>
Subject:      Microsoft Security Bulletin (MS99-044)
X-To:         bugtraq@securityfocus.com
To: BUGTRAQ@SECURITYFOCUS.COM
Status: RO

The following is a Security  Bulletin from the Microsoft Product Security
Notification Service.

Please do not  reply to this message,  as it was sent  from an unattended
mailbox.
                    ********************************

Microsoft Security Bulletin (MS99-044)
--------------------------------------

Patch Available for "Excel SYLK" Vulnerability
Originally Posted: October 20, 1999

Summary
=======
Microsoft has released a patch that eliminates two vulnerabilities in
Microsoft(r) Excel 97 and  2000 that could allow macros to run without
warning under certain conditions.

Frequently asked questions regarding this vulnerability can be found
at http://www.microsoft.com/security/bulletins/MS99-044faq.asp.

Issue
=====
The primary vulnerability addressed by this patch is the "Excel SYLK"
vulnerability. Symbolic  Link (SYLK) files can contain macros; if such a
file were opened in Excel 97 or 2000, the macro  would run without asking
for the user's permission. These macros could take any action on the
computer that the user could take.

This patch also eliminates a vulnerability involving how Excel 97 imports
macros created by Lotus  1-2-3 or Quattro Pro. When such a macro is
imported, Excel 97 runs it without asking for the  user's permission. These
macros could be used to delete files on the user's computer, but could  take
no other action.

Affected Software Versions
==========================
 - Microsoft Excel 97, whether shipped alone or as part of Office 97.
 - Microsoft Excel 2000, whether shipped alone or as part of Office 2000.

Patch Availability
==================
 - Excel 97:
   http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/downloadDetails/Xl8p7pkg.htm
 - Excel 2000:
   http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/2000/downloadDetails/XL9p1pkg.htm

More Information
================
Please see the following references for more information related to this
issue.
 - Microsoft Security Bulletin MS99-044: Frequently Asked Questions,
   http://www.microsoft.com/security/bulletins/MS99-044faq.asp.
 - Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) article Q241900,
   XL97: Opening Lotus 1-2-3 File May Execute Macro Without Warning,
   http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q241/9/00.asp.
 - Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) article Q241901,
   XL2000: Macro Virus Warning Does Not Appear Opening SYLK File,
   http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q241/9/01.asp.
 - Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) article Q241902,
   XL97: Macro Virus Warning Does Not Appear Opening SYLK File,
   http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q241/9/02.asp.
 - Microsoft Security Advisor web site,
   http://www.microsoft.com/security/default.asp.

NOTE: It may take 24 hours from the original posting of this bulletin for
the KB articles to be  visible.

Obtaining Support on this Issue
===============================
This is a fully supported patch. Information on contacting Microsoft
Technical Support is available at
http://support.microsoft.com/support/contact/default.asp.

Acknowledgments
===============
Microsoft acknowledges David Young of Derby, UK, for bringing the "Excel
SYLK" vulnerability to  our attention.

Revisions
=========
 - October 20, 1999: Bulletin Created.

------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

(c) 1999 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.

   *******************************************************************
You have received  this e-mail bulletin as a result  of your registration
to  the   Microsoft  Product  Security  Notification   Service.  You  may
unsubscribe from this e-mail notification  service at any time by sending
an  e-mail  to  MICROSOFT_SECURITY-SIGNOFF-REQUEST@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM
The subject line and message body are not used in processing the request,
and can be anything you like.

For  more  information on  the  Microsoft  Security Notification  Service
please visit http://www.microsoft.com/security/services/bulletin.asp. For
security-related information  about Microsoft products, please  visit the
Microsoft Security Advisor web site at http://www.microsoft.com/security.