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Q184017: Administrators Can Display Contents of Service Account Passwords

Article: Q184017
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): winnt:3.51,4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbWinNT400sp4fix
Last Modified: 10-AUG-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.51, 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.51, 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition version 4.0 
- Microsoft BackOffice Small Business Server version 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition 
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SYMPTOMS
========

A program is available on the Internet that allows a local Administrator, with
full control of a Windows NT system, to use APIs published in the Win32 software
development kit (SDK) for Windows NT to display the contents of security
information stored by the Local Security Authority (LSA) in a form called LSA
Secrets. LSA Secrets are used to store information such as the passwords for
service accounts used to start services under an account other than local
System.

CAUSE
=====

This is by design. Members of the local Administrators groups are trusted users
that have the ability to access any information that can also be accessed by the
operating system itself.


RESOLUTION
==========

Note that the fix listed below does not change the behavior in which LSA secrets
are available to local administrators. Administrators have access to data
including LSA secrets. This fix provides improved protection for LSA secrets
against attacks noted below that do not involve accounts with administrative
priviledges.

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0 or
Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. For additional information,
please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q152734 How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack


The updates in this Windows NT 4.0 hotfix provide the following additional
protection for the LSA Secret data:

- Additional encryption for the LSA Secrets, which provides protection for this
  information when stored on backup tapes, the Emergency Repair Disk, or other
  registry backups. For maximum protection, you should also enable the System
  Key option. For information on System Key (Syskey.exe) functionality, please
  refer to the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  ARTICLE-ID: Q143475
  TITLE : Windows NT System Key Permits Strong Encryption of the SAM

- The value of the LSA private data is not returned to remote clients over the
  network.

- Calls to the Win32 APIs will not return LSA private data used for service
  accounts and other system components to unauthorized applications (non-system
  components).

- This update includes a change to the privilege needed to open the Security
  Event log. Applications that open this log on systems running with this
  update installed fail unless the security privilege (SE_SECURITY_NAME) is
  enabled.

For more information on this change, please see the following article in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  ARTICLE-ID: Q188855
  TITLE : Security Privilege Must be Enabled to View Security Event Log

Before You Apply The Hotfix
---------------------------

Because this hotfix makes a modification to the on-disk storage of the LSA data
information, Microsoft does not recommend that it be uninstalled. Perform the
following steps to ease the transition back to a pre-LSA2-fix configuration in
case you experience problems with the hotfix:

1. Perform a Full System Backup.

2. Run Rdisk /s. Using the /s command-line switch with Rdisk.exe causes the
  Sam._ and Security._ databases to be copied to the %Systemroot%\Repair
  folder.

3. Create a temporary folder under the %Systemroot% folder called Lsabackout.

4. Copy the following files from the %Systemroot\System32 folder to the
  %Systemroot%\Lsabackout folder as they are updated by LSA2-fix:

  Eventlog.dll
  Lsasrv.dll
  Msaudite.dll
  Msv1_0.dll
  Netcfg.dll
  Samlib.dll
  Samsrv.dll
  Services.exe
  Srvmgr.exe
  Xactsrv.dll

5. Create an updated Emergency Repair Disk (ERD) which updates the on-disk SAM
  and Registry information in the %Systemroot%\System32\Config folder.

NOTE: This hotfix supersedes the fix referred to in the following articles in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  ARTICLE-ID: Q154087
  TITLE : Access Violation in LSASS.EXE Due to Incorrect Buffer Size

  ARTICLE-ID: Q174205
  TITLE : LSASS May Use a Large Amount of Memory on a Domain Controller

  ARTICLE-ID: Q129457
  TITLE : Anonymous Connections May Be Able to Obtain the Password Policy

This hotfix has been posted as Lsa2fixi.exe (x86) and Lsa2fixa.exe (Alpha).For
your convenience, the English version of this post-SP3 hotfix has been posted to
the following Internet location. However, Microsoft recommends that you install
Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4 to correct this problem.

NOTE: An updated version of this hotfix was posted on July 20, 1998 and provides
an additional security level to systems running Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 3.

  ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/winnt-public/fixes/usa/NT40/hotfixes-postSP3/lsa2-fix/

NOTE: The above link is one path; it has been wrapped for readability.

If you run Systems Management Server on systems where this hotfix is applied, the
SNMP Event Log Extension Agent (Snmpelea) generates the following Event ID 3007
error:

  Error opening event log file Security.
  Log will not be processed.
  Return code from OpenEventLog is 1314.

The SNMP Event Log Extension Agent requires an update to manage the security
event log. To resolve the SNMP Event Log Extension Agent problem, please see the
following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  ARTICLE-ID: Q183770
  TITLE : SMS: Snmpelea Unable to Open Security Event Log


Windows NT 3.51
---------------

A hotfix for Windows NT 3.51 is not available at this time.

MORE INFORMATION
================

If you experience problems with this hotfix, perform the following steps to
restore the system to its original configuration before applying the hotfix:

1. Perform a full system backup including the registry. This backup set should
  only be necessary if the following steps fail.

2. Rename the following files the %Systemroot%\System32 folder that were
  replaced by the hotfix:

  Eventlog.dll
  Lsasrv.dll
  Msaudite.dll
  Msv1_0.dll
  Netcfg.dll
  Samlib.dll
  Samsrv.dll
  Services.exe
  Srvmgr.exe
  Xactsrv.dll

3. Copy the original versions of these system files from the
  \%Systemroot%\Lsabackout folder to the %Systemroot%\System32 folder.

4. Restart the computer using the installation disks and select the option to
  repair the system.

5. Deselect all options except Inspect Registry Files and then continue.

6. Press the ESC key to indicate you wish to use the on-disk repair information.

7. Press ENTER to repair.

8. Click only Security (security policy) and SAM (user accounts database).

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may
require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that
problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use
Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys And
Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete
Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in
Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it.

1. Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe) and delete the key from:

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT
  \CurrentVersion\Hotfix

  NOTE: The above registry key is one path; it has been wrapped for readability.


STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT 4.0 and Windows NT
Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. This problem was first corrected in Windows
NT 4.0 Service Pack 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition
Service Pack 4.

Additional query words: 3.51 4.00

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbWinNT400sp4fix 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT351search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTW351search kbWinNTW351 kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTSEntSearch kbWinNTSEnt400 kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400 kbWinNTS351 kbNTTermServ400 kbNTTermServSearch kbWinNTS351search kbAudDeveloper kbSBServSearch kbSBServ400
Version           : winnt:3.51,4.0
Hardware          : ALPHA x86
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbfix

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