Patch for WebTV for Windows Announcement Listener Vulnerability

Microsoft has released a patch that eliminates a security vulnerability in Microsoft WebTV for Windows. The vulnerability could allow a malicious user to remotely cause your computer that is running WebTV for Windows to stop responding (hang).

There is a denial of service vulnerability in the Microsoft Announcement Listener (Annclist.exe) component of WebTV for Windows that may allow a malicious user to cause your computer that is running WebTV for Windows to stop responding, or cause the WebTV for Windows program to stop responding. Note that you can restart the program or your computer to return to a normal state.

Although the WebTV for Windows program is included with Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows Millennium Edition (Me), this program is not installed by default. Because of this, your computer is not at risk unless you have installed WebTV for Windows.

A supported fix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Apply it only to computers that are experiencing this specific problem.

To resolve this problem immediately, download the fix by clicking the download link later in this article or contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:NOTE: In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

The following files are available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:

Windows 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition

Windows Millennium Edition

Release Date: Oct-11-2000

For additional information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help to prevent any unauthorized changes to the file. The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use one of the following methods.

Method 1

Configure Announcement Listener so that it does not automatically start, and can only be started manually.

NOTE: After you use this workaround, you can continue to run WebTV for Windows, but the Webcast and Advanced Television Enhancement Forum (ATVEF) features are disabled. Note that closed captioning continues to work.

1. Start Announcement Manager. To do so, double-click the Annui.exe file in the Program Files\TV Viewer folder.
2. On the Options menu, click No Automatic Start.
3. Quit Announcement Manager.

Method 2

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

Rename the Announcement Listener port List in the registry:

NOTE: After you use this workaround, you can continue to run WebTV for Windows, but the Webcast and Advanced Television Enhancement Forum (ATVEF) features are disabled. Note that closed captioning continues to work.

Use Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) to rename the Announcements subkey in the following registry key to Announcements_Stop, and then restart your computer:

Method 3

Uninstall WebTV for Windows.

NOTE: After you use this workaround, WebTV for Windows does not work, and Announcement Listener (Annclist.exe) does not start.

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs, and then click the Windows Setup tab.
3. Click to clear the WebTV for Windows check box, and then click OK.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

For additional information about Windows Me hotfixes, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For additional information about Windows 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition hotfixes, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For additional information, see Security Bulletin MS00-074. To do so, visit the following Microsoft Web site: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS00-074.mspx (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS00-074.mspx)