Effects
MS10-016 is not categorized as virus, worm, Trojan or backdoor. It is an important vulnerability in different versions of Movie Maker on Windows 7/Vista/XP computers and Producer 2003, which allows arbitrary code to be remotely executed in the vulnerable computer.
The affected Movie Maker versions are the following:
- 6.0 on Windows Vista
- 2.6 on Windows 7/Vista.
- 2.1 on Windows XP.
The vulnerability is due to the way in which Movie maker and Producer 2003 handle specially crafted project files.
If exploited successfully, MS10-016 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.
This vulnerability is usually exploited by creating a specially crafted Movie maker or Producer project file and enticing users to open it. This malicious file can be sent via email or hosted in a website.
If you have any of the vulnerable Movie maker versions or Producer 2003, it is recommended to download and apply the security patch for this vulnerability. Click here to access the web page for downloading the patch.