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From: Russ (Russ.CooperRC.ON.CA)
Date: Wed Apr 17 2002 - 07:55:18 CDT

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    Ok, so Vito Amato pointed out to me that MSKB Q319733 states;

    "Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Edition IIS is not intended for use on
    Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition, and is not
    supported. Microsoft recommends that customers that are running IIS 4.0
    on Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition, protect their systems
    by uninstalling IIS 4.0."

    When I first raised the issue of MS02-018 trashing IIS 4.0 on NT 4.0
    Terminal Servers with the Microsoft Security Response Center, they told
    me the same thing. But hey, I don't remember ever seeing anything that
    said it was unsupported, and I do remember seeing IIS patches made
    available in Terminal Server versions, so when did they stop supporting
    IIS 4.0 on NT 4.0 Terminal Server??

    So I did some checking, and came up with some interesting facts;

    1. IIS 4.0 support for Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server (NT-TSE) appears
    to have stopped when NT 4.0 Service Pack 6 went into beta. All IIS 4.0
    patches included in NT 4.0 SP6a are included in NT-TSE SP6 (from all of
    the checking I've been able to do) which means that Microsoft *DID*
    support IIS 4.0 on NT-TSE through NT-TSE SP6.

    2. The last patch available for IIS 4.0 on NT-TSE (where NT-TSE is
    referenced in the Security Bulletin and/or KB article and therefore *IS*
    supported running IIS 4.0) was MS99-039 from September 1999 (2 months
    prior to the release of NT 4.0 SP6, the amount of time roughly that NT
    4.0 SP6 was in beta and code was frozen).

    3. 21 Security Bulletins have been released since that date for IIS 4.0,
    including fixes for Code Red and Nimda (some may work with NT-TSE, then
    again, some may install and not work properly).

    4. Based on version numbers and file size (not date), NT-TSE SP6 would
    appear to include parts of MS00-006. IDQ.DLL and QUERY.DLL both have the
    right version number (according to Q251170), but WEBHITS.DLL does not
    (it has v5.0.1780.1 on NT-TSE SP6 instead of 5.0.1781.3).

    5. Based on version numbers and file size (not date), MS01-025, which
    fixed QUERY.DLL, is supposed to have the same version number that
    MS00-006 had, namely 5.0.1781.3. So does that mean that QUERY.DLL wasn't
    revised between MS00-006 and MS01-025 (a year apart)? Or did they forget
    to increment the version number? Does the version that shipped as part
    of NT-TSE SP6 prevent the problems raised in MS01-025?

    According to;

    http://support.microsoft.com/servicedesks/fileversion/dllinfo.asp?sd=MSD
    N

    (a pretty good resource since it lets you find out what version of a dll
    shipped in what packages)

    files with v4.2.720.1 shipped as part of NT 4.0 SP6/6a. All of the IIS
    files in NT-TSE SP6 have this same build number. Furthermore, the NT-TSE
    SP6 "Read About" web page states;

    "Service Pack 6 (TSE SP6) for Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server
    Edition (Terminal Server 4.0) is based on Windows NT Service Pack 6a and
    includes specific fixes for Terminal Server 4.0."

    In addition, on a Microsoft page trying to convince people to upgrade
    from NT 3.51 with WinFrame to NT 4.0 with Citrix MetaFrame, it states;

    "Microsoft and Citrix have recognized the value of working together to
    provide customers with a complete solution that provides the benefits of
    the Windows NT 4.0 platform. Microsoft and Citrix jointly developed
    Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition, which will be sold and
    supported by Microsoft. Citrix will be releasing the MetaFrame system
    software that extends the reach of Terminal Server."

    and in Citrix' documentation on NFuse (which needs a web server to
    work), Citrix states that IIS 4.0 on NT-TSE **IS A SUPPORTED
    CONFIGURATION**.

    So, Microsoft used to support IIS on NT-TSE until they stopped building
    service packs for NT 4.0. Microsoft and Citrix jointly developed NT-TSE,
    and Citrix has always supported IIS 4.0 on NT-TSE.

    I'd love to see the letter any licensed NT-TSE owner got from Microsoft
    stating that you should remove IIS 4.0 from your system because support
    for it was cancelled. You should've received it some time in April of
    2000.

    I'd also like to see any explanations you received from your TAMs or MS
    Sales Representatives to your questions about why MS01-026 didn't
    install, or how you were supposed to eliminate Code Red/Nimda on your
    NT-TSE boxes running IIS.

    Cheers,
    Russ - Surgeon General of TruSecure Corporation/NTBugtraq Editor