Inside the Active Template Library (ATL) Security Update

Today, Microsoft announced the details of an out-of-band security update that impacts ATL components and controls (like ActiveX controls, for example) -> Developers who have built controls using vulnerable versions of ATL should take immediate action to review and identify any vulnerabilities, modify and recompile their affected controls and components using the updated versions of ATL and finally distribute a non-vulnerable version of the controls and components to their customers.

Here, Damien Watkins from the VC++ team and Damian Hasse and Jonathan Ness from MSRC Engineering review the steps to identify and address vulnerable controls and components. Of course, being a Channel 9 interview, we dig into various aspects of the problem without veering away from the goal here: helping you understand the exact issues with this vulnerability. If you own a component or control that uses ATL, then you will know what you need to do to prevent a possible attack.

 
Please visit the URLs below as soon as possible for detailed information on this vulnerability.

Resources discussed in this video are available on MSDN: Active Template Library Security Update and Developers

Detailed technical information on this security release for ATL developers: http://blogs.technet.com/srd/archive/2009/07/28/overview-of-the-out-of-band-release.aspx

Additional information on this security release is available on the Security Research & Defense blog

Overview with background + table of links:  http://blogs.technet.com/srd/archive/2009/07/28/overview-of-the-out-of-band-release.aspx

IE mitigation explanation:  http://blogs.technet.com/srd/archive/2009/07/28/internet-explorer-mitigations-for-atl-data-stream-vulnerabilities.aspx

Deep dive for developers:  http://blogs.technet.com/srd/archive/2009/07/28/atl-vulnerability-developer-deep-dive.aspx

How msvidctl.dll is related:  http://blogs.technet.com/srd/archive/2009/07/28/msvidctl-ms09-032-and-the-atl-vulnerability.aspx

Michael Howard's perspective on this issue: http://blogs.msdn.com/sdl/archive/2009/07/28/atl-ms09-035-and-the-sdl.aspx