VLC Media Player iOS App 2.7.8 File Disclosure
Posted on 15 September 2017
SEC Consult Vulnerability Lab Security Advisory < 20170913-1 > ======================================================================= title: Local File Disclosure product: VLC media player iOS app vulnerable version: 2.7.8 fixed version: 2.8.1 CVE number: - impact: Medium homepage: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vlc-for-mobile/id650377962?mt=8 found: 2017-08-22 by: Ahmad Ramadhan Amizudin (Office Malaysia) SEC Consult Vulnerability Lab An integrated part of SEC Consult Bangkok - Berlin - Linz - Montreal - Moscow Kuala Lumpur - Singapore - Vienna (HQ) - Vilnius - Zurich https://www.sec-consult.com ======================================================================= Vendor description: ------------------- "VLC is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files as well as DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols." Source: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vlc-for-mobile/id650377962?mt=8 Business recommendation: ------------------------ The identified vulnerability allows attackers to steal arbitrary files (accessible by the app) from the mobile device. SEC Consult recommends not to enable "Sharing over WiFi" feature in VLC for iOS which allows wireless file transfer to/from PC until a thorough security review has been performed by security professionals and all identified issues have been resolved. Vulnerability overview/description: ----------------------------------- 1) Local file disclosure The 'Sharing over WiFi' feature in VLC for iOS is vulnerable to a local file disclosure vulnerability. An attacker can read any files which can be accessed with current application privileges. This issue can lead to data theft. Proof of concept: ----------------- 1) Local file disclosure The example below shows how the LFD vulnerability can be exploited. URL : http://$IP:$PORT/download/<path-to-file-or-folder> METHOD : GET EXAMPLE : http://$IP:$PORT/download//etc/passwd The source code excerpt below shows the vulnerable code of the mobile app: VULN. FILE : Sources/VLCHTTPConnection.m VULN. CODE : [...] - (NSObject<HTTPResponse> *)_httpGETDownloadForPath:(NSString *)path { NSString *filePath = [[path stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString:@"/download/" withString:@""]stringByReplacingPercentEscapesUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding]; HTTPFileResponse *fileResponse = [[HTTPFileResponse alloc] initWithFilePath:filePath forConnection:self]; fileResponse.contentType = @"application/octet-stream"; return fileResponse; } [...] Vulnerable / tested versions: ----------------------------- VLC version 2.7.8 has been tested on iOS 10.3.3 and found to be vulnerable. Vendor contact timeline: ------------------------ 2017-08-23: Contacting vendor through email 2017-08-23: Vendor replied, they are looking at it 2017-09-05: Asked for a status update from the vendor 2017-09-09: Vendor released patch in version 2.8.1 2017-09-13: Public release of advisory Solution: --------- Upgrade to the latest version available: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vlc-for-mobile/id650377962?mt=8 Workaround: ----------- Disable the 'Sharing over WiFi' feature. Advisory URL: ------------- https://www.sec-consult.com/en/vulnerability-lab/advisories/index.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SEC Consult Vulnerability Lab SEC Consult Bangkok - Berlin - Linz - Luxembourg - Montreal - Moscow Kuala Lumpur - Singapore - Vienna (HQ) - Vilnius - Zurich About SEC Consult Vulnerability Lab The SEC Consult Vulnerability Lab is an integrated part of SEC Consult. It ensures the continued knowledge gain of SEC Consult in the field of network and application security to stay ahead of the attacker. The SEC Consult Vulnerability Lab supports high-quality penetration testing and the evaluation of new offensive and defensive technologies for our customers. Hence our customers obtain the most current information about vulnerabilities and valid recommendation about the risk profile of new technologies. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Interested to work with the experts of SEC Consult? Send us your application https://www.sec-consult.com/en/career/index.html Interested in improving your cyber security with the experts of SEC Consult? Contact our local offices https://www.sec-consult.com/en/contact/index.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mail: research at sec-consult dot com Web: https://www.sec-consult.com Blog: http://blog.sec-consult.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/sec_consult EOF Ahmad Ramadhan / @2017
