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Network Security Focus-Microsoft
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RE: What server hardening are you doing these days?

Subject: RE: What server hardening are you doing these days?
Date: Fri, 11 Nov 2005 16:18:56 -0500
That's good for most things, but virtual machines don't allow for testing of
configuration on specific hardware. This is an issue we've run into quite a
bit with some clustered Exchange environments.

Laura 

-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Bradley, CPA aka Ebitz - SBS Rocks [MVP] 
[mailto:sbradcpa@pacbell.net] 
Sent: Friday, November 11, 2005 1:31 PM
To: kbo@relayfix.tiscali.de
Cc: Kurt.Dillard@microsoft.com; larobins@bellatlantic.net; 
pattonme@yahoo.com; focus-ms@securityfocus.com
Subject: Re: What server hardening are you doing these days?

Virtual Server..and in VMWare... the PtoV tool.

I forget the Vserver tool but they both suck up the physical 
and make a virtual image.

Brown, Sam wrote:
It will be nice if in a future version of Windows server if 
there was 
a way to simulate major changes to the production 
environment.  I am 
not aware of such a method but am open to hear from this 
group.  Thanks.

Sam
-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Bradley, CPA aka Ebitz - SBS Rocks [MVP] 
[mailto:sbradcpa@pacbell.net]
Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2005 4:34 PM
To: Kurt Dillard
Cc: larobins@bellatlantic.net; matthew patton; 
focus-ms@securityfocus.com
Subject: Re: What server hardening are you doing these days?

Not to mention resources for the ISV side of the world [and 
this is a 
mere tip of the iceburg]

MVPs in the area of app security
Visual Developer - Security:

https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/communities/mvplist.aspx?Product=Vis
ua
l+Developer+-+Security

Spot the Bug!:
http://blogs.msdn.com/rsamona/default.aspx

Living the "Least Privilege" Lifestyle, Part 4: Is 
Developing Secure 
Software as an Administrator an Impossible Dream?:
http://www.informit.com/articles/article.asp?p=418859&f1=rss&rl=1

Blogs....

Anil John <http://www.securecoder.com/blog/> - Public Profile 

<http://www.microsoft.com/communities/mvp/mvpdetails.mspx?Params=%7eCM
TY 

DataSvcParams%5e%7earg+Name%3d%22guid%22+Value%3d%22b065ff6a-b3e9-4705
-b 

a2b-74e9ddaf5c17%22%2f%5e%7esParams%5e%7e%2fsParams%5e%7e%2fCMTYDataSv
cP
arams%5e>
Dominick Baier <http://www.leastprivilege.com/> -Public Profile 

<http://www.microsoft.com/communities/mvp/mvpdetails.mspx?Params=%7eCM
TY 

DataSvcParams%5e%7earg+Name%3d%22guid%22+Value%3d%22d0eed383-8faf-40cd
-b 

f24-d4c27976e23b%22%2f%5e%7esParams%5e%7e%2fsParams%5e%7e%2fCMTYDataSv
cP
arams%5e>
Don Kiely 
<http://www.sqljunkies.com/WebLog/donkiely/default.aspx> - 
Public Profile 

<http://www.microsoft.com/communities/mvp/mvpdetails.mspx?Params=%7eCM
TY 

DataSvcParams%5e%7earg+Name%3d%22guid%22+Value%3d%225b786265-b44e-441a
-a 

7dc-223cbb51e2a8%22%2f%5e%7esParams%5e%7e%2fsParams%5e%7e%2fCMTYDataSv
cP
arams%5e>
Keith Brown <http://pluralsight.com/blogs/keith/> - Public Profile 

<http://www.microsoft.com/communities/mvp/mvpdetails.mspx?Params=%7eCM
TY

DataSvcParams%5e%7earg+Name%3d%22guid%22+Value%3d%22801dc9ce-60c2-4dad
-8 

d2d-c5e68c017cc4%22%2f%5e%7esParams%5e%7e%2fsParams%5e%7e%2fCMTYDataSv
cP
arams%5e>
Kenny Kerr <http://weblogs.asp.net/kennykerr/> - Public Profile 

<http://www.microsoft.com/communities/mvp/mvpdetails.mspx?Params=%7eCM
TY

DataSvcParams%5e%7earg+Name%3d%22guid%22+Value%3d%220688bce3-3a8f-4a76
-8 

876-976f29dc9e66%22%2f%5e%7esParams%5e%7e%2fsParams%5e%7e%2fCMTYDataSv
cP
arams%5e>
Nicole Calinoiu <http://spaces.msn.com/members/calinoiu/> - Public 
Profile 

<http://www.microsoft.com/communities/mvp/mvpdetails.mspx?Params=%7eCM
TY 

DataSvcParams%5e%7earg+Name%3d%22guid%22+Value%3d%22117327a2-d094-42a2
-b 

749-933f6eed9278%22%2f%5e%7esParams%5e%7e%2fsParams%5e%7e%2fCMTYDataSv
cP
arams%5e>
Robert Hurlbut <http://weblogs.asp.net/rhurlbut> - Public Profile 

<http://www.microsoft.com/communities/mvp/mvpdetails.mspx?Params=%7eCM
TY 

DataSvcParams%5e%7earg+Name%3d%22guid%22+Value%3d%2218f87374-ed8c-4fea
-b 

b26-291f237e299a%22%2f%5e%7esParams%5e%7e%2fsParams%5e%7e%2fCMTYDataSv
cP
arams%5e>
Rudolph Araujo
<https://www.threatsandcountermeasures.com/blogs/rudolph/> - Public 
Profile 

<http://www.microsoft.com/communities/mvp/mvpdetails.mspx?Params=%7eCM
TY

DataSvcParams%5e%7earg+Name%3d%22guid%22+Value%3d%22da2a7ecb-b899-41b6
-9 

e8e-7b3e02cd224f%22%2f%5e%7esParams%5e%7e%2fsParams%5e%7e%2fCMTYDataSv
cP
arams%5e>
Valery Pryamikov <http://www.harper.no/valery/> - Public Profile 

<http://www.microsoft.com/communities/mvp/mvpdetails.mspx?Params=%7eCM
TY 

DataSvcParams%5e%7earg+Name%3d%22guid%22+Value%3d%222d962143-71ef-4020
-b 

88d-9f13bc99ccb8%22%2f%5e%7esParams%5e%7e%2fsParams%5e%7e%2fCMTYDataSv
cP
arams%5e>

Web Development: Increase the Security of Your Applications:
http://www.microsoft.com/events/series/securitywebappdev.mspx

Secure Software Forum:
http://www.securesoftwareforum.com/index.html



Kurt Dillard wrote:
  
Matthew,
I can understand the frustration people had with NT 4, but 
your broad 
accusations seem... Well... Hmmmm.

Have you seen these documents that I helped to author?
Windows Server 2003 Security Guide:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=14845
Windows XP Security Guide:
    
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=14839
  
Threats and Countermeasures: Security Settings in Windows 
Server 2003 
and Windows XP: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=15159

And others from different teams:
Exchange 2003 Hardening Guide:

    

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=6a80711f-e5c9
-4
  
aef-9a44-504db09b9065&displaylang=en
Scenarios and Procedures for Microsoft Systems Management 
Server 2003:
Security:

    

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=3d81b520-a203
-4
  
376-a72d-fd34a6c4a44c&DisplayLang=en
ISA Server 2004 Security Hardening Guide:

    

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/isa/2004/plan/securityhar
de
  
ningguide.mspx
MOM 2005 security guide:

    

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=812b3089-18fe
-4
  
2ff-bc1e-d181ccfe5dcf&displaylang=en

Have you seen links such as these? 
http://www.nsa.gov/snac/downloads_win2003.cfm?MenuID=scg10.3.1.1
http://csrc.nist.gov/itsec/guidance_WinXP.html (check the 
acknowledgements page in the PDF file)

    

http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=16640
42
  
90
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1860574,00.asp

If you're looking for mandatory access control, no general purpose 
commercial software supports that out of the box. MACs is, in my 
opinion, not viable for the vast majority of users and 
businesses. As 
for localsystem having full access to the file system, 
your comment 
suggests that you don't realize localsystem has full access to
    
virtually
  
everything. Its analogous to root on *nix. If you have 
data you want
    
to
  
protect from even localsystem you'll have to encrypt it 
and store the 
key separate from the computer.

To reiterate Laura's request, do you have a specific suggestion?

Kurt Dillard   CISSP, ISSAP, CISM, MCSE
Program Manager - Security Solutions
Microsoft Federal

-----Original Message-----
From: Laura A. Robinson [mailto:larobins@bellatlantic.net]
Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2005 12:48 PM
To: 'matthew patton'; focus-ms@securityfocus.com
Subject: RE: What server hardening are you doing these days?

I'm having a difficult time grokking what your actual assertion is
    
here.
  
What are you saying that Microsoft should have published that they 
haven't published? Have you looked at the default permissions in
    
Win2K3?
  
Have you looked at the changes in accounts related to 
Local System, 
Local Service and Network Service? I'm seeing a lot of vague
    
accusation
  
in your post, but not any explanation of what your point is. 

Laura

  
    
-----Original Message-----
From: matthew patton [mailto:pattonme@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2005 10:40 AM
To: focus-ms@securityfocus.com
Subject: Re: What server hardening are you doing these days?

I just love this bit from the MS release:

<quote>
Because of these changes to the core operating system of 
Windows XP 
and of Windows Server 2003, extensive changes to file 
permissions on 
the root of the operating system are no longer required.

Additional ACL changes may invalidate all or most of the 
application 
compatibility testing that is performed by Microsoft. Frequently, 
changes such as these have not undergone the in-depth 
testing that 
Microsoft has performed on other settings. Support cases 
and field 
experience has shown that ACL edits change the 
fundamental behavior
      
of
  
    
      
  
    
the operating system, frequently in unintended ways. 
These changes 
affect application compatibility and stability and reduce 
functionality, both in terms of performance and capability.
</quote>

This is called FUD. Microsoft has not once BOTHERED to investigate
      
and
  
    
      
  
    
publish least privilege on their OS. Here in DoD land the 
NSA/DISA/ArmedService' "hardening" guidelines are nearly silent on
      
the
  
    
      
  
    
matter of fixing the sad excuse that is windows 
filesystem security.
Mostly because M$ itself has never published anything. To 
be fair, 
it's improved a little bit since NT4 but LocalSystem in particular
      
has
  
    
      
  
    
WAY too much access. Of course the vendor doesn't want 
you to change 
anything. They can't be bothered to configure their OS 
correctly to 
begin with.

If M$ wanted to they could ship Vista with proper filesystem 
permissions out of the box and nobody would notice. They 
just can't
      
be
  
    
      
  
    
bothered. Afterall, when you have such a disorganized OS going 16 
different ways, and an ISV community that has for decades been
      
getting
  
    
      
  
    
away with murder, would you want to spend the time to figure out
      
which
  
    
      
  
    
in-house programmer was being an idiot and assuming he could just
      
step
  
    
      
  
    
all over the filesystem? Programmers are just plain sloppy.
They have no incentive to make security a priority. For 
all the PR 
about M$'s new "we care about security" schtick, not a 
whole heck of
      
a
  
    
      
  
    
lot is going to change.


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--
Letting your vendors set your risk analysis these days?  
http://www.threatcode.com


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