MS01-046: Windows 2000 Does Not Support Mapping Virtual COM Ports to Infrared Ports (252795)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server SP1
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server SP2
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP1
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP2
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP1
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP2
This article was previously published under Q252795

SYMPTOMS

Infrared ports cannot be mapped to a Virtual COM port in Windows 2000.

CAUSE

Windows 2000 does not support virtual serial ports and does not provide a general implementation of IrCOMM to map the ports.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, either obtain the hotfix referenced in this section or Windows 2000 Security Rollup Package 1 (SRP1). For additional information about SRP1, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

311401 Windows 2000 Security Rollup Package 1 (SRP1), January 2002

NOTE: SRP1 includes Irda.sys from this security patch but it does not include the other files as they have nothing to do with this vulnerability. For mobile, Infrared Data Association (IrDA)-enabled phones, obtain the update referenced below which adds IrCOMM modem support to Windows 2000. The IrCOMM modem driver recognizes and installs IrCOMM-enabled cell phones as modems. Furthermore, this implementation only supports computer initiated IrCOMM connections to a phone and not the reverse.

NOTE: This update still does not allow for mapping of infrared ports to a Virtual COM port. The added support is specifically for IrDA-enabled mobile phones. This update makes the IrCOMM support identical to Windows XP. For more information on IrCOMM in Windows XP see the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/network/infrared/WinXP-IrDa.mspx

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows 2000. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

260910 How to Obtain the Latest Windows 2000 Service Pack

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:

DownloadDownload Q252795_w2k_sp3_x86_en.exe now

Release Date: August 19, 2001

For additional information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services

Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help to prevent any unauthorized changes to the file. The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:
   Date         Time   Version        Size    File name
   -------------------------------------------------------
   30-Jul-2001  19:39  5.0.2195.3985  57,296  Irda.sys
   16-Jul-2001  20:05  5.0.2195.3865  10,288  Irenum.sys
   30-Jul-2001  19:39                 79,989  Mdmirmdm.inf
   16-Jul-2001  20:05  5.0.2195.3865  20,208  Msircomm.sys

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this problem may cause a degree of security vulnerability in Windows 2000. This problem was first corrected in Windows 2000 Service Pack 3.

MORE INFORMATION

For information on a buffer overflow vulnerability associated with IrDA support in Windows 2000, see the following Microsoft web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms01-046.asp

Windows 2000 does not support virtual serial ports and does not provide a general implementation of IrCOMM to map the ports. There are several reasons for this:
  • Multiple applications cannot share a virtual serial port. The problem presented here, is that an IrCOMM-based program, such as the Microsoft H/PC Explorer or an IrTran-P-based file transfer program running as a background service can open the single virtual serial port and hold it open until you shut down the computer. No other IrDA program or driver is able to run on that computer. This is true, even though the underlying IrDA protocols provide support to allow multiple programs to wait for incoming connections.
  • Windows 2000 IrDA connections must be supported by multiple device connections. Windows 2000 supports multiple concurrent adapters and IrDA connections to different devices, and cannot support an API and protocol that uses a single device connection.
Attempting to do IrCOMM would have inherit limitations that would not work through the existing serial API, which would prevent the ability to do full error-correction in the IrDA stack and create unreliable connections.

For more information on IrDa support in Windows 2000 see the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/default.mspx

For additional information about how to obtain a hotfix for Windows 2000 Datacenter Server, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

265173 The Datacenter Program and Windows 2000 Datacenter Server Product

For additional information about how to install multiple hotfixes with only one reboot, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

296861 Use QChain.exe to Install Multiple Hotfixes with One Reboot

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:11/22/2005
Keywords:kbHotfixServer kbQFE kbbug kbfix kbHardware kbnetwork KbSECBulletin kbSecurity KbSECVulnerability kbWin2000PreSP3Fix kbWin2000sp3fix KB252795
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