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securityvulnsSecurityvulnsSECURITYVULNS:DOC:20183
HistoryJul 18, 2008 - 12:00 a.m.

Arbitrary code execution in Netrw version 127, Vim 7.2b

2008-07-1800:00:00
vulners.com
9
  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.

  1. 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
  1. 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>

  1. 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.

  1. Mitigation

Do not use Vim to open untrusted directories or files whose path
contains untrusted directories.

  1. Copyright

This advisory is Copyright 2008 Jan Minar <[email protected]>

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.

  1. History

2008-07-16 Sent to: <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>,
<[email protected]>, <[email protected]>