Windows 95/9/ME Security Warning: TCP File Sharing Vulnerable to Password Probes

If you're a Windows 95/98/ME user and you haven't yet installed Microsoft's patch for "share level password" vulnerability, don't delay.

Without this patch (available from http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/fq00-072.asp), a file share can be compromised by a malicious user. Your machine is open to a single-character guess for your password, so an intruder can do damage even without knowing the entire password.

Only share level access permissions on Windows 95/98/ME machines are vulnerable. Because they can only be set up with user-level file share access controls, Windows NT and Windows 2000 machines are not susceptible.

For complete information about this security problem, including answers to frequently-asked questions, go to
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/fq00-072.asp