Microsoft Windows Vista privilege escalation vulnerability
Vulnerability Note VU#601073
Original Release Date: 2007-12-11 | Last Revised: 2007-12-11
Overview
Microsoft Windows Vista contains a local privilege escalation vulnerability.
Description
The Windows Advanced Local Procedure Call (ALPC) does not properly evaluate certain conditions in legacy reply paths.
Per Microsoft Security Bulletin MS07-066: An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows kernel processes certain access requests. This vulnerability could allow an attacker to run code and to take complete control of the system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full administrative 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. Note that this vulnerability is present in the 32 and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista.
Impact
A local attacker may be able to gain elevated privileges.
Solution
Update Microsoft has released an update to address this issue. Administrators and users should see Microsoft Security Bulletin MS07-066 for information about obtaining fixed software.