CVE-2006-0363: Low severity Microsoft MSN Messenger vulnerability

Published Jan 22, 2006
·
Updated

The "Remember my Password" feature in MSN Messenger 7.5 stores passwords in an encrypted format under the HKEYCURRENTUSER\Software\Microsoft\IdentityCRL\Creds registry key, which might allow local users to obtain the original passwords via a program that calls CryptUnprotectData, as demonstrated by the "MSN Password Recovery.exe" program. NOTE: it could be argued that local-only password recovery is inherently insecure because the decryption methods and keys must be stored somewhere on the local system, and are thus inherently accessible with varying degrees of effort. Perhaps this issue should not be included in CVE.

Affected Software

1 affected component
Microsoft MSN Messenger=7.5

Event History

Jan 22, 2006
CVE Published
08:03 PM
Jan 23, 2006
CVE Published
via MITRE·01:00 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·01:00 AM
Description
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2006-0363?

CVE-2006-0363 is classified as a moderate severity vulnerability.

2

How do I fix CVE-2006-0363?

To fix CVE-2006-0363, upgrade to a newer version of MSN Messenger or disable the "Remember my Password" feature.

3

Who is affected by CVE-2006-0363?

Users of MSN Messenger version 7.5 are affected by CVE-2006-0363.

4

What type of data is exposed in CVE-2006-0363?

CVE-2006-0363 exposes encrypted passwords stored in the Windows registry.

5

Can local users exploit CVE-2006-0363?

Yes, local users can exploit CVE-2006-0363 to retrieve original passwords using specific tools.

Contact

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