Article 3 Microsoft warned of a security hole in machines running Windows 2000 with IIS 5.0. By sending the servers carefully crafted strings, attackers could cause a buffer overflow that would allow them system administrator level control of the machines.
System administrators can protect their systems by turning off the Internet printing component.
Microsoft has released a patch for the vulnerability, and is delaying the release of Service Pack 2 until the patch is incorporated. Some cyber law experts have expressed concern that the FBI's method used in gathering incriminating evidence in the case of two Russian cyber criminals may invite indiscriminate international hacking. The FBI, unable to gain Russian authorities' cooperation in gathering data from the servers the crackers used, took it upon themselves to gather, compress, and download 1.3 GB of data to agency computers without a search warrant. They obtained a warrant before examining the files. The attack was similar to one directed at the CIA earlier in the week.