Sun Microsystems Solaris ld.so 'doprf()' Buffer Overflow Vulnerability iDefense Security Advisory 12.12.06 http://labs.idefense.com/intelligence/vulnerabilities/ Dec 12, 2006 I. BACKGROUND Solaris is a UNIX operating system developed by Sun Microsystems. More information can be found at http://www.sun.com/software/solaris/ II. DESCRIPTION Local exploitation of a buffer overflow vulnerability in ld.so could potentially allow a non root user to execute arbitrary code as root. ld.so is vulnerable to a buffer overflow in its internal doprf() formatting function. A fixed size stack buffer is used to store the precision padding characters when printing out a numerical format specifier. The vulnerable code was taken from the OpenSolaris source, and is as follows: size_t doprf(const char *format, va_list args, Prfbuf *prf) { char c; char *bp = prf->pr_cur; char *bufend = prf->pr_buf + prf->pr_len; size_t bufsiz = prf->pr_len; while ((c = *format++) != '\0') { if (c != '%') { PUTC(c); } else { int base = 0, flag = 0, width = 0, prec = 0; size_t _i; int _c, _n; char *_s; int ls = 0; * snip * if (base) { 1] char local[20]; const char *string = MSG_ORIG(MSG_STR_HEXNUM); size_t ssize = 0, psize = 0; const char *prefix = MSG_ORIG(MSG_STR_EMPTY); u_longlong_t num; * snip * /* * Convert the numeric value into a local * string (stored in reverse order). */ _s = local; 2] do { *_s++ = string[num % base]; num /= base; ssize++; } while (num); /* * Provide any precision or width padding. */ if (prec) { /* LINTED */ _n = (int)(prec - ssize); 3] while (_n-- > 0) { *_s++ = '0'; ssize++; } } 1) This is the stack buffer that will later be overflowed. 2) Here the given number is stored into the buffer. There is no chance for an overflow here as the maximum number of digits in a long long int is 20 bytes. 3) However in this loop an attacker can freely overwrite the stack with '0' (0x30) bytes. This vulnerability would normally not be able to be triggered by a non root user. The doprf() function is only supposed to be passed format strings from a message file owned by root. However, when this vulnerability is combined with the ld.so directory traversal vulnerability any user can pass arbitrary format strings to the doprf() function. III. ANALYSIS Successful local exploitation allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code as root on the affected host by running a setuid binary. Exploitation is difficult due to the limited data value with which the buffer can be overflowed. It is necessary to have valid memory mapped at an address with a most significant byte of 0x30, for example 0x30fffff0. In our tests on both x86 and SPARC architectures we were unable to achieve this. With a different memory layout exploitation may be possible. On x86, it also may be possible to overwrite the low byte of a saved frame pointer if the registers are allocated in a different way. IV. DETECTION iDefense has confirmed that Solaris 10 for both x86 and SPARC is vulnerable. Older versions of Solaris are likely to be vulnerable as well. V. WORKAROUND iDefense is unaware of any effective workarounds for this issue. VI. VENDOR RESPONSE Sun Microsystems has addressed this problem with new patches. More information can be found in Sun Alert #102724. This alert can be found at: http://sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1-26-102724-1 VII. CVE INFORMATION A Mitre Corp. Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) number has not been assigned yet. VIII. DISCLOSURE TIMELINE 10/24/2006 Initial vendor notification 10/27/2006 Initial vendor response 12/12/2006 Coordinated public disclosure IX. CREDIT Sean Larsson (iDefense Labs) is credited with the discovery of this vulnerability. Get paid for vulnerability research http://labs.idefense.com/methodology/vulnerability/vcp.php Free tools, research and upcoming events http://labs.idefense.com/ X. LEGAL NOTICES Copyright © 2006 iDefense, Inc. Permission is granted for the redistribution of this alert electronically. It may not be edited in any way without the express written consent of iDefense. If you wish to reprint the whole or any part of this alert in any other medium other than electronically, please e-mail customerservice@xxxxxxxxxxxx for permission. Disclaimer: The information in the advisory is believed to be accurate at the time of publishing based on currently available information. Use of the information constitutes acceptance for use in an AS IS condition. There are no warranties with regard to this information. Neither the author nor the publisher accepts any liability for any direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage arising from use of, or reliance on, this information.
