Microsoft Security Bulletin (MS00-061)

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Patch Available for "Money Password" Vulnerability
Originally posted: August 25, 2000

Summary

Microsoft has released a patch that eliminates a security
vulnerability in Microsoft(r) Money. The vulnerability could allow a
malicious user to obtain the password of a Money data file.

Frequently asked questions regarding this vulnerability and the
patch can be found at
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/fq00-061.asp.

Issue

Microsoft Money provides a password protection feature that prevents
unauthorized access to your Money file. However, due to the way the
password is currently handled, the password may be written in
plaintext under certain conditions.

The vulnerability only affects Money data stored on the user's local
computer - it does not affect the security of Money's online services
in any way. Moreover, a malicious user would need to gain physical
access to an affected file in order to exploit the vulnerability - it
could not be exploited remotely. It's important to note that password
protection in Money is not intended to be a substitute for file-level
access control, and even in the absence of this vulnerability,
customers need to protect such files. Microsoft recommends that
computer users follow best practices when securing their systems,
including ensuring that machines with important data are physically
secure, and not sharing important data files with untrusted or
unknown sources.

Affected Software Versions

• Microsoft Money 2001
• Microsoft Money 2000

Patch Availability

This patch is available for automatic download using the "Update
Internet Information" feature in Money.

1. On the Tools menu, click Update Internet Information.
2. Follow the instructions on the screen to install the patch.
3. Microsoft recommends users change their password after applying
   this fix as a best practice.

Note: Additional security patches are available at the Microsoft
Download Center

More Information

Please see the following references for more information related to
this issue.

• Frequently Asked Questions: Microsoft Security Bulletin MS00-061,
  http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/fq00-061.asp
• Microsoft Knowledge Base article Q272232 discusses this issue and
  will be available soon.
• Microsoft TechNet Security web site,
  http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/default.asp

Obtaining Support on this Issue

This is a fully supported patch. Information on contacting Microsoft
Product Support Services is available at
http://support.microsoft.com/support/contact/default.asp.

Acknowledgments

Microsoft thanks ken for reporting this issue to us and working with
us to protect customers.

Revisions

• August 25, 2000: Bulletin Created.

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Last Updated August 25, 2000

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