Home / vulnerabilities netrw-exec.txt
Posted on 17 July 2008
Source : packetstormsecurity.org Link
1. Summary
Product : Vim -- Vi IMproved, Netrw
Version : Tested with Vim 7.2b, Netrw 127
Impact : Arbitrary code execution
Wherefrom: Local, possibly remote
Original : http://www.rdancer.org/vulnerablevim-netrw.v5.html
http://www.rdancer.org/vulnerablevim-latest.tar.bz2
Lack of sanitization throughout Netrw can lead to arbitrary code execution upon
opening a directory with a crafted name.
2. Overview
``Netrw makes reading, writing, and browsing over a network connection
easy! [...] Netrw supports "transparent" editing of files on other
machines using urls [...]''
-- Netrw Reference Manual (pi_netrw.txt)
For the new Vim version, the Netrw plugin has been updated with the new
fnameescape() and shellescape() functions. However, not all of the
vulnerable statements have been sanitized, and Netrw is still vulnerable
to arbitrary code execution.
The latest version of the archive with code that we're using can be
found at: ``http://www.rdancer.org/vulnerablevim-latest.tar.bz2''.
Best results are achieved by running ``make test'' in the root directory
of the abovementioned archive (this advisory details the ``netrw.v5''
test case):
-------------------------------------------
-------- Test results below ---------------
-------------------------------------------
Vim version 7.2b
zip.vim version: v21
netrw.vim version: v127
-------------------------------------------
filetype.vim
strong : EXPLOIT FAILED
weak : EXPLOIT FAILED
tarplugin : EXPLOIT FAILED
tarplugin.updated: EXPLOIT FAILED
zipplugin : EXPLOIT FAILED
zipplugin.v2: EXPLOIT FAILED
xpm.vim
xpm : EXPLOIT FAILED
xpm2 : EXPLOIT FAILED
remote : EXPLOIT FAILED
gzip_vim : EXPLOIT FAILED
netrw : EXPLOIT FAILED
netrw.v2 : EXPLOIT FAILED
netrw.v3 : VULNERABLE
netrw.v4 : EXPLOIT FAILED
--> netrw.v5 : VULNERABLE
3. Vulnerability
Few unsanitized statements still remain in ``netrw.vim'':
$ grep -n exe ~/.vim/autoload/netrw.vim|grep -v -e escape -e Decho -e
executable | wc -l
239
We will exploit the part of code where upon opening a directory, a
string of keyboard mappings is loaded, using the ``execute'' command,
with no sanitization of the ``b:netrw_curdir'' variable, which holds the
current directory name. In function s:BrowserMaps():
1709 if s:didstarstar || !mapcheck("<s-up>","n")
1710 nnoremap <buffer> <silent> <s-up> :Pexplore<cr>
1711 endif
1712 if g:netrw_mousemaps == 1
1713 nnoremap <buffer> <silent> <leftmouse>
<leftmouse>:call <SID>NetrwLeftmouse(1)<cr>
1714 nnoremap <buffer> <silent> <middlemouse>
<leftmouse>:call <SID>NetrwPrevWinOpen(1)<cr>
1715 nnoremap <buffer> <silent> <s-leftmouse>
<leftmouse>:call <SID>NetrwMarkFile(1,<SID>NetrwGetWord())<cr>
--> 1716 exe 'nnoremap <buffer> <silent> <rightmouse>
<leftmouse>:call <SID>NetrwLocalRm("'.b:netrw_curdir.'")<cr>'
--> 1717 exe 'vnoremap <buffer> <silent> <rightmouse>
<leftmouse>:call <SID>NetrwLocalRm("'.b:netrw_curdir.'")<cr>'
1718 endif
--> 1719 exe 'nnoremap <buffer> <silent> <del> :call
<SID>NetrwLocalRm("'.b:netrw_curdir.'")<cr>'
--> 1720 exe 'vnoremap <buffer> <silent> <del> :call
<SID>NetrwLocalRm("'.b:netrw_curdir.'")<cr>'
--> 1721 exe 'nnoremap <buffer> <silent> D :call
<SID>NetrwLocalRm("'.b:netrw_curdir.'")<cr>'
--> 1722 exe 'vnoremap <buffer> <silent> D :call
<SID>NetrwLocalRm("'.b:netrw_curdir.'")<cr>'
--> 1723 exe 'nnoremap <buffer> <silent> R :call
<SID>NetrwLocalRename("'.b:netrw_curdir.'")<cr>'
--> 1724 exe 'vnoremap <buffer> <silent> R :call
<SID>NetrwLocalRename("'.b:netrw_curdir.'")<cr>'
--> 1725 exe 'nnoremap <buffer> <silent> <Leader>m :call
<SID>NetrwMakeDir("")<cr>'
1726 nnoremap <buffer> <F1> :he netrw-quickhelp<cr>
4. Exploit
Run ``make test''. See ``netrw.v5/Makefile'' for details. If Vim is
vulnerable, number of times the payload has been run is printed.
Current version of Vim will run the payload six times.
5. Mitigation
Do not use Vim to open untrusted directories or files whose path
contains untrusted directories.
6. Copyright
This advisory is Copyright 2008 Jan Minar <rdancer@rdancer.org>
Copying welcome, under the Creative Commons ``Attribution-Share Alike''
License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/uk/
Code included herein, and accompanying this advisory, may be copied
according to the GNU General Public License version 2, or the Vim
license. See the subdirectory ``licenses''.
Various portions of the accompanying code were written by various
parties. Those parties may hold copyright, and those portions may be
copied according to the respective licenses.
7. History
2008-07-16 Sent to: <bugs@vim.org>, <vim-dev@googlegroups.com>,
<full-disclosure@lists.grok.org.uk>, <bugtraq@securityfocus.com>
