Microsoft warns of new Windows security issues

Microsoft stated this week that two security issues could put some Windows users at risk of attack and said it is investigating a third possible vulnerability.

One security problem is reminiscent of the recent high-profile security treaths that affected Windows. It is related to how aging versions of Internet Explorer handle malformed Windows Meta File images on the Windows Millennium Edition and Windows 2000 operating systems.

The flaw exists only in IE 5.01 with Service Pack 4 on Windows 2000 and IE 5.5 with Service Pack 2 on Windows ME, Microsoft said in a security advisory. Users could be attacked simply by viewing a malicious image on a Web site, in an e-mail or in an image viewer, Microsoft said.

To remedy this new WMF problem, Microsoft recommends users upgrade to IE6 with Service Pack 1 and said it may issue a security patch.

In a second security advisory, Microsoft warned of a problem with overly permissive access controls in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. The problem exists only in versions that do not have the latest service packs installed, the company said.