CVE-2005-2118

Vulnerability

A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the Windows Shell component of Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP SP1 and SP2, and Windows Server 2003 (including SP1 and x64 Editions). When a user views the properties of a specially crafted shortcut (.lnk) file with overly long font properties using Windows Explorer, the vulnerability can be triggered. This allows remote code execution on the affected system. This is a different vulnerability than CVE-2005-2122 [1].

Exploitation

An attacker must convince the user to open a folder containing the crafted .lnk file or view its properties, typically through email attachment, a malicious website, or network share. The user must then interact by viewing the file's properties in Windows Explorer. No authentication or advanced privileges are required for the attacker to deliver the payload, but user interaction is necessary [1].

Impact

Successful exploitation allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the affected system. If the user has administrative privileges, the attacker can gain complete control, install programs, view/change/delete data, or create new accounts with full user rights [1].

Mitigation

The security update provided in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS05-049 addresses this vulnerability. All affected Windows versions should apply the update released on October 11, 2005. No workarounds are mentioned in the available references [1].