SQL Server Updated Against Slammer

An updated service pack and new product media for SQL Server 2000 will make it easier for organizations to protect themselves from the SQL Slammer worm, which infected thousands of systems in Feb. 2003. In particular, Microsoft has fixed technical problems experienced by some customers after applying SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 3, which is effective against the worm, and has also hardened the base product editions so that new servers will be protected as companies roll them out.

Service Pack Blocks Port, Fixes Install

SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 3a (SP3a) is an updated version of Service Pack 3 (SP3) that rolls up previous service packs for the product, including those addressing the SQL Slammer worm. It also protects applications based on Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE) against denial-of-service attacks by allowing users at install time to completely disable communication on the network port exploited by Slammer.

In addition, SP3a addresses installation difficulties and a performance problem experienced by some customers after applying SP3. For example, after installing SP3, some customers with applications that used the Microsoft Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) driver for SQL saw memory leaks when running queries with result sets containing a large number of columns. The installation problems were addressed by reinstalling SP3, while the performance problem required additional fixes from Microsoft Product Support. By eliminating these potential problems, SP3a could reduce the time and complexity of applying the service pack, particularly benefiting customers with large SQL installations.