Effects
MS10-001 is not categorized as virus, worm, Trojan or backdoor. It is a critical vulnerability in the Embedded OpenType Font engine on Windows 7/2008/Vista/2003/XP/2000 computers, which allows arbitrary code to be remotely executed in the vulnerable computer.
Embedded OpenType (EOT) fonts enable users to view web pages exactly as the author intended. However, there is vulnerability due to an integer overflow when the Embedded OpenType Font Engine decompresses specially crafted files and content containing embedded fonts.
If exploited successfully, MS10-001 allows hackers to gain remote control of the affected computer with the same privileges as the logged on user. If this user had administrator rights, the hacker could take complete control of the system: create, modify or delete files, install programs, create new user accounts, etc.
In order to exploit this vulnerability the user needs to view content rendered in a specially crafted EOT font. It can be sent via email in a message with a Word or Power Point file containing a specially crafted EOT font attached. It can also be exploited by hosting a website that contains specially crafted content.
If you have a Windows 7/2008/Vista/2003/XP/2000 computer, it is recommended to download and apply the security patch for this vulnerability. Click here to access the web page for downloading the patch.
Bear in mind that this security bulletin replaces a previous one, called MS09-029.