Executive brief
A vulnerability in older Microsoft Windows operating systems allows an attacker to crash or freeze a computer over the network. By sending a specific type of malicious network traffic known as a Jolt ICMP attack, an attacker can disrupt business operations by forcing systems offline. This results in a denial of service, preventing legitimate users from accessing the affected machines.
Technical details
The vulnerability is a denial of service (DoS) flaw in the networking stack of Windows 95 and Windows NT. It is triggered by the 'Jolt' attack, which involves sending a stream of fragmented ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) packets that the operating system cannot properly reassemble or process. An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this by sending these malformed packets over the network to a target system, leading to a system hang or crash. This vulnerability is a classic example of improper handling of fragmented IP traffic. Patching or upgrading to a modern, supported operating system is required to mitigate this risk.
Affected products
- Microsoft Windows 95
- Microsoft Windows NT
Timeline
- 1997-01-01: disclosed: Initial publication date