Search for Windows XP System Security Vulnerabilities

Nowadays, many computer users have switched their operating systems to the latest WINXP system, but even the latest Windows system still has many security risks, so how can we ensure the security of your system?
Next let's take a look at the Windows family's security vulnerabilities? And how to block these vulnerabilities?

1. Quick User Switching Vulnerability

The quick user switching function of Windows XP has a vulnerability. When you click Start/logout/switch user to start the quick user switching function and try to log on to a user name in the traditional logon method, the system will mistakenly believe that there is a brute-force cracking attack, so it will lock all non-administrator accounts.

Security Countermeasure: click Control Panel/user account/change the user logon or logout method to cancel "Use Quick User Switch" to disable the user quick switch function.

2. UPnP service vulnerabilities

UPnp is currently a relatively advanced technology that has been included in Windows XP. This is a good thing, but it is troublesome because UPnp will bring some security vulnerabilities. Hackers can exploit this vulnerability to gain full control of other PCs or launch DOS attacks. If he knows the IP address of a PC, he can control the PC over the Internet, even if he does not know the IP address of the PC in the same network. Specifically, the UPnP service can cause the following two security vulnerabilities:

(1) Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

UPnP has a buffer overflow problem. When processing the Location field in the NOTIFY Command, if the IP address, port, and file name are too long, a buffer overflow occurs. This security vulnerability was discovered and notified to Microsoft by eEye digital security, the most serious buffer overflow vulnerability in Windows history. Because the UPnP service runs in the context of the system, hackers can exploit this vulnerability to launch Dos attacks. High-level hackers can even control others' computers and take over users' computers, view or delete an object. More seriously, server programs listen to broadcast and multicast interfaces, so that attackers can simultaneously attack multiple machines without knowing the IP addresses of a single host.

Security Countermeasure: Because Windows XP has enabled the UPnP (General Plug and Play) function, all WinXP users should install the patch immediately, this patch is required only when UPnP is running, because the UPnP function of WindowsME is disabled during installation. As for Win98, because there is no UPnP, this patch is required only when you have installed UPnP on your own. You can download the patch from the Microsoft website.

(2) UDP and UDP spoofing attacks are also easy for systems that run the UPnP service, as long as a UDP packet is sent to port 1900 of the system, the address of the "LOCA-TION" Domain points to the Chargen port of another system, which may cause the system to enter an infinite connection loop, resulting in 100% of the system CPU usage, unable to provide normal services. In addition, attackers can send a forged UDP packet to a network with many XP hosts, and may force these XP hosts to attack the specified host.

Security Countermeasure: Click XP control panel, administrative tools, and services, double-click the "UniversalPlugandPlayDeviceHost" service, select "disabled" in the Startup type, and disable the UPnP service.

If you do not want to disable the UPnP service to block this type of security vulnerability, you can download and install the corresponding patch on Microsoft's website, or set a firewall to disable External network packets from connecting to port 1900.

3. "Self-logout" Vulnerability

The hotkey function is one of the system services of WinXP. Once a user logs on to WinXP, The hotkey function is started, so you can use the default hotkey or your own hotkey. If your computer does not have a screen saver or password set, and you leave the computer for a while, WinXP will be smart to automatically log out, however, this kind of "logout" is not actually logged out, and all background programs are still running (the hotkey function is not disabled, of course). So although others cannot enter your desktop, you can't see what you put in your computer, but you can continue using the hotkey.

At this time, if someone starts some network-related sensitive programs (or services) on your machine with a hotkey, use the hotkey to delete important files on the machine, or use the hotkey to do other bad things, the consequences are also very serious! Therefore, this vulnerability is terrible. We hope Microsoft can release patches in time so that the hotkey service can also be stopped when WinXP performs "self-deregistration.

Security Countermeasure: When you leave the computer, press the Windows key + L key to lock the computer; or open the screen saver and set the password; or check the hotkeys of programs and services that may cause harm and cancel these hotkeys.

4. Remote Desktop Vulnerabilities

When a network connection is established, WinXP Remote Desktop sends the user name in plaintext to the client connected to it. The user name sent can be the user name of the remote host or a common user name on the client. The network sniffer program may capture the account information.

Security Countermeasure: click Control Panel/system/remote to cancel "allow users to remotely connect to this computer" to stop using remote desktop. Xiaotong