Unixware SCOhelp http Server Format String Vulnerability

Advisory ID: CORE-092700

Bugtraq ID: 1717

CVE Name: CVE-2000-1014

Title: Unixware SCOhelp http server format string vulnerability

Class: Input validation error

Remotely Exploitable: Yes

Locally Exploitable: Yes

 

Vulnerability Description:
SCO Unixware 7 default installation includes scohelp, an http server that listens on port 457/tcp and allows access to manual pages and other documentation files. The search CGI script provided for that purpose has a vulnerability that could allow any remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the vulnerable machine with privileges of user "nobody".

This poses a threat that could result in the remote compromise of the vulnerable host and provide a staging point from where an attacker could escalate privileges.

Vulnerable Packages/Systems:
Unixware 7

Solution/Vendor Information/Workaround:
Contact the vendor for a fix In the meantime, disabling the http server on port 457/tcp will prevent exploitation of the vulnerability. However, this will also make access to the documentation unavailable.

The following is a workaround supplied by the vendor:

To apply the workaround to your system you must:
1) Log into the system as root
2) cd /usr/ns-home/httpd-scohelphttp/search97
3) mkdir ./securebin
4) mv ./bin/vtopic ./securebin
5) Using your favourite editor create a new version of vtopic in the /usr/ns-home/httpd-scohelphttp/search97/bin directory containing the following:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
#!/bin/sh
VERITYBIN=/usr/ns-home/httpd-scohelphttp/search97/bin
SECUREBIN=/usr/ns-home/httpd-scohelphttp/search97/securebin
configPath=$VERITYBIN/inetsrch.ini
export configPath
# If POST method, convert to QUERY_STRING
if [ -z "$QUERY_STRING" ]
then
POST=1
eval `$VERITYBIN/cgiparse -init`
else
POST=0
fi
# Exit if not set
if [ -z "$QUERY_STRING" ]
then
exit 1
fi
# Now strip out insecure character %25
QUERY_STRING=`echo "$QUERY_STRING" | sed "s/%25/+/g"`
# First check for multiple ViewTemplate fields
# which could fool vtopic
COUNT=`$VERITYBIN/cgiparse -count -value ViewTemplate 2> /dev/null`
if [ "$COUNT" -gt 1 ]
then
exit 1
fi
# First check for multiple ResultTemplate fields
# which could fool vtopic
COUNT=`$VERITYBIN/cgiparse -count -value ResultTemplate 2> /dev/null`
if [ "$COUNT" -gt 1 ]
then
exit 1
fi
# Now check for correct path in ViewTemplate if it has one
if echo "$QUERY_STRING" | egrep -i '&ViewTemplate=' > /dev/null 2>&1
then
MATCH=`cgiparse -value ViewTemplate 2> /dev/null | egrep -i
'[-A-Za-z0-9_.]+/_SearchTemplates/docview.hts'`
if [ -z "$MATCH" ]
then
exit 1
fi
fi
# Now check for correct path in ResultTemplate if it has one
if echo "$QUERY_STRING" | egrep -i '&ResultTemplate=' > /dev/null 2>&1
then
MATCH=`cgiparse -value ResultTemplate 2> /dev/null | egrep -i
'[-A-Za-z0-9_.]+/_SearchTemplates/result.hts'`
if [ -z "$MATCH" ]
then
exit 1
fi
fi
# OK, so proceed
if [ "$POST" -eq 1 ]
then
export CONTENT_LENGTH
echo "$QUERY_STRING" | $SECUREBIN/vtopic
else
export QUERY_STRING
$SECUREBIN/vtopic
fi
--------------------------------------------------------------------
6) chmod +x vtopic

This script acts as a wrapper to the vtopic binary and blocks queries that can:
1) Allow a remote user to request to view a world readable file like /etc/passwd
2) Cause a failure like the one described in your email to SCO.

Vendor notified on: September 11th, 2000

Credits:
This vulnerability was discovered by Juliano Rizzo of CORE SDI Inc., Buenos Aires, Argentina.

This advisory was drafted with the help of the SecurityFocus.com Vulnerability Help Team.

Fix information and the workaround was provided by the SCO Security Group

Technical Description - Exploit/Concept Code:
There is a user supplied format string bug in the vtopic CGI script that could be abused to execute arbitrary code. By sending a request with the following URI:
http://target:457/search97cgi/vtopic?Action=\
FilterSearch&filter=&queryText=%25x
The server will elicit the following response:
--
Internal error: STR_sprintf: Invalid format (Error E1-0142 (Query Builder): Invalid character '%' (0x25))
Result
Search failed: -40
Result
Error E1-0142 (Query Builder): Invalid character '
Result
Error E1-0130 (Query Builder): Syntax error in query string near character 1
Result
Error E1-0133 (Query Builder): Error parsing query: 81888e0
Result
VdkSearchNew failed, error -40
Result
Request failed for REQUEST_METHOD=, QUERY_STRING=
Component
Component (vsearch) failed in processing request, -2
Action
Action (FilterSearch) failed while processing request in component (vsearch), -2
Service Manager
Action (FilterSearch) failed in processing request, -2
S97IS Service manager failed to process request
--
Note the line:
Error E1-0133 (Query Builder): Error parsing query: 81888e0.
This shows that the server is interpreting the %x argument passed in the URI as the "queryText" value. Supplying a carefully built value for the queryText argument an attacker can change the program flow and execute arbitrary code.

DISCLAIMER:
The contents of this advisory are copyright (c) 2000 CORE SDI Inc. and may be distributed freely provided that no fee is charged for this distribution and proper credit is given.