Patches to fix the problem are available on Microsoft's security Web site, as is DirectX 9.0b, a new version of the software that includes the security fix, Microsoft said. Versions of DirectX from 5.2 up to 9.0a are affected, according to Microsoft.

Exceptions are Windows NT 4.0 and Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server Edition, which are vulnerable only if Windows Media Player 6.4 or Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 is installed, Microsoft said.

An attacker could take advantage of the flaws by hosting a specially crafted MIDI file on a Web site or sending that file in an HTML e-mail, the company said.ĭirectX is part of most currently supported versions of Windows, including Windows 98, Windows XP and Windows 2000. The flaw is in the way DirectX checks Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) music files, Microsoft said in Security Bulletin MS03-030.

Two security bugs in DirectX, a part of the Windows operating system that provides multimedia support, could allow an attacker to gain control over computers running it, Microsoft Corp.

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