News

Microsoft Releases Patch to Improve TCP Initial Sequence Number Randomness

Microsoft has released a patch that significantly improves the randomness of the TCP initial sequence numbers (ISNs) generated by the TCP/IP stack in Windows NT 4.0. Improving the randomness of ISNs eliminates a class of potential attacks against Windows NT 4.0 systems.

The ISNs used in TCP/IP sessions should be as random as possible in order to prevent attacks such as IP address spoofing and session hijacking. The patch offered by Microsoft improves the randomness of the Windows NT 4.0 TCP/IP ISN generation, providing 15 bits of entropy.

The patch works with Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, Server, Server Enterprise Edition and Server Terminal Edition. The patch is available at for x86 versions at download.microsoft.com/download/winntsrv40/patch/4.0.1381.7014/nt4/en-us/q24385.exe or for Alpha versions at download.microsoft.com/download/winntsrv40/patch/4.0.1381.7014/alpha/en-us/q243835.exe.

About the Author

Scott Bekker is editor in chief of Redmond Channel Partner magazine.

Featured

  • Microsoft Starts Countdown to Dynamics GP End-of-Support

    Dynamics GP, Microsoft's venerable enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution for midsized businesses, is set to lose support in four years.

  • Image of a futuristic maze

    The 2024 Microsoft Product Roadmap

    Everything Microsoft partners and IT pros need to know about major Microsoft product milestones this year.

  • Windows Recall Preview Starts Rolling Out with Windows 11 24H2

    Microsoft on Tuesday began rolling out Windows 11 version 24H2, describing the update as a "full OS swap that contains new foundational elements required to deliver transformational Al experiences and exceptional performance."

  • An image of planes flying around a globe

    2024 Microsoft Conference Calendar: For Partners, IT Pros and Developers

    Here's your guide to all the IT training sessions, partner meet-ups and annual Microsoft conferences you won't want to miss.

Most   Popular