Security Warning: Microsoft Windows Vulnerability

[a2mateit 395]

Just a headup for those with Windows VPS running on Windows Server 2003 or 2008.

 

 

Date: 3/15/2012

Time: 12:00PM EST

Location: ALL

Services Affected: Windows Servers

Reason:

 

A vulnerability has recently been disclosed by Microsoft that involves

all currently supported versions of Windows Server 2003 and Windows

Server 2008. This vulnerability affects the Remote Desktop service and

may allow an attacker to gain control over or crash an affected server.

 

Operating systems other than Windows, such as Linux or FreeBSD, are not

affected by this vulnerability.

 

The problem is disclosed in the following bulletin:

 

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s...letin/ms12-020

 

It is recommended that any affected customers immediately run Windows

Update and reboot the server when it is directed. If any other critical

updates are awaiting installation within Windows Update, it is

recommended that they be installed as well to close other

vulnerabilities that may exist in the Windows operating system.

 

To update your system on Windows Server 2008:

 

- Click on Start > Server Manager

- Under the Security Information heading, click "Configure Updates"

- From the left side, click "Check for Updates"

- Once this step completes, click on "Install updates"

- After the installation is finished, you will be prompted to restart

the server. To apply the updates completely, this should be done as

soon as possible.

 

For Windows Server 2003, see:

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311047

 

Microsoft recommends enabling automatic updates to ensure your system is

patched regularly without requiring manual intervention. Please note

that during an automatic update, your system will be rebooted if

necessary, which will cause your services to be interrupted until the

system finishes rebooting.

 

To enable Automatic Updates on Windows Server 2008:

 

- Click on Start > Server Manager

- Under the Security Information heading, click "Configure Updates"

- From the left side, click "Change settings"

- Select "Install updates automatically (recommended)" from the

Important Updates list box.

- Select a schedule for "Install new updates" that is most appropriate

for your server usage.

- Click "OK"

 

For Windows Server 2003, see:

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/327838