Monday, January 26, 2009

Calling all Researchers! Send in the Top Web Hacking Techniques of 2008

It's time once again to create the Top Ten Web Hacking Techniques of the past year. Every year Web security produces a plethora of new and extremely clever hacking techniques (loosely defined, not specific incidents), many of which are published in hard to find locations. 2008 was no different. As we've done for the past two years, we're looking for the best of the best. This effort serves as a way to create a centralized community reference and recognize those exceptional researchers who have contributed to our collective knowledge.

This year is special, because the researcher who places #1 will not only receive praise amongst his peers, but also receive one free pass to attend the BlackHat USA Briefings 2009! Over $1,000 (US) value. Generously sponsored by BlackHat. Winners will be chosen by a panel of judges (Rich Mogull, Chris Hoff, HD Moore, Jeff Forristal) on the basis of novelty, impact, and pervasiveness.

We’re also going to need your help. Below we’re building the living list of everything found so far. If anything is missing, and we’re positive there is because last year had over 80, we’d appreciate it if you could post a comment containing the link. Thank you and good luck!

The List
  1. Cross-Site Printing (2007 issue)
  2. CUPS Detection
  3. CSRFing the uTorrent plugin
  4. Clickjacking / Videojacking
  5. Bypassing URL Authentication and Authorization with HTTP Verb Tampering
  6. I used to know what you watched, on YouTube (CSRF + Crossdomain.xml)
  7. Safari Carpet Bomb
  8. Flash clipboard Hijack
  9. Flash Internet Explorer security model bug
  10. Frame Injection Fun
  11. Free MacWorld Platinum Pass? Yes in 2008!
  12. Diminutive Worm, 161 byte Web Worm
  13. SNMP XSS Attack (1)
  14. Res Timing File Enumeration Without JavaScript in IE7.0
  15. Stealing Basic Auth with Persistent XSS
  16. Smuggling SMTP through open HTTP proxies
  17. Collecting Lots of Free 'Micro-Deposits'
  18. Using your browser URL history to estimate gender
  19. Cross-site File Upload Attacks
  20. Same Origin Bypassing Using Image Dimensions
  21. HTTP Proxies Bypass Firewalls
  22. Join a Religion Via CSRF
  23. Cross-domain leaks of site logins via Authenticated CSS
  24. JavaScript Global Namespace Pollution
  25. GIFAR
  26. HTML/CSS Injections - Primitive Malicious Code
  27. Hacking Intranets Through Web Interfaces
  28. Cookie Path Traversal
  29. Racing to downgrade users to cookie-less authentication
  30. MySQL and SQL Column Truncation Vulnerabilities
  31. Building Subversive File Sharing With Client Side Applications
  32. Firefox XML injection into parse of remote XML
  33. Firefox cross-domain information theft (simple text strings, some CSV)
  34. Firefox 2 and WebKit nightly cross-domain image theft
  35. Browser's Ghost Busters
  36. Exploiting XSS vulnerabilities on cookies
  37. Breaking Google Gears' Cross-Origin Communication Model
  38. Flash Parameter Injection
  39. Cross Environment Hopping
  40. Exploiting Logged Out XSS Vulnerabilities
  41. Exploiting CSRF Protected XSS
  42. ActiveX Repurposing, (1, 2)
  43. Tunneling tcp over http over sql-injection
  44. Arbitrary TCP over uploaded pages
  45. Local DoS on CUPS to a remote exploit via specially-crafted webpage (1)
  46. JavaScript Code Flow Manipulation
  47. Common localhost dns misconfiguration can lead to "same site" scripting
  48. Pulling system32 out over blind SQL Injection
  49. Dialog Spoofing - Firefox Basic Authentication
  50. Skype cross-zone scripting vulnerability
  51. Safari pwns Internet Explorer
  52. IE "Print Table of Links" Cross-Zone Scripting Vulnerability
  53. A different Opera
  54. Abusing HTML 5 Structured Client-side Storage
  55. SSID Script Injection
  56. DHCP Script Injection
  57. File Download Injection
  58. Navigation Hijacking (Frame/Tab Injection Attacks)
  59. UPnP Hacking via Flash
  60. Total surveillance made easy with VoIP phone
  61. Social Networks Evil Twin Attacks
  62. Recursive File Include DoS
  63. Multi-pass filters bypass
  64. Session Extending
  65. Code Execution via XSS (1)
  66. Redirector’s hell
  67. Persistent SQL Injection
  68. JSON Hijacking with UTF-7
  69. SQL Smuggling
  70. Abusing PHP Sockets (1, 2)
  71. CSRF on Novell GroupWise WebAccess

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Turning a local DoS vulnerability on CUPS into a remote exploit via specially-crafted webpage

This research nicely shows how combining different bugs, can allow us to turn a local crash, into a remote exploit via a specially-crafted webpage.

The three vulns in particular are (copied and pasted from original source):

"
1. CUPS allows anonymous users to add/remove RSS Subscriptions. This issue only affects CUPS <1.3.8. I later learned that this issue had been reported in the past and tracked by Apple as STR #2774. This issue is also being tracked as CVE-2008-5184
2. HTTP requests submitted to the CUPS web interface (http://localhost:631/) can be forged due to lack of tokenization (CSRF)
3. Exceeding the maximum # of RSS Subscriptions (100 by default) leads to a NULL pointer dereference crash. This issue is being tracked as CVE-2008-5183
"

Sources:

original blog post

further details

Jeremiah Grossman said...

right on, that is a cool one! #45

Anonymous said...

Same-site scripting:
http://seclists.org/bugtraq/2008/Jan/0270.html

localhost. record in domain pointing to 127.0.0.1 + XSS vulnerability in local application with web interface as source for cookies for this domain and the potential threat with other applications listening on local interface.

Martin Straka

Jeremiah Grossman said...

Thanks Martin, I've added it to the list!

avivra said...

Few of mine:
Yet another Dialog Spoofing - Firefox Basic Authentication
Skype cross-zone scripting vulnerability
Safari pwns IE (Blended Threat)
IE "Print Table of Links" Vulnerability
A different Opera

Anonymous said...

Remembering 'Forgot My Password': Turning DNS Compromise Into A Generic Authentication Bypass For Most Web Frameworks And Major Properties

I'm sure everyone's sick of the DNS brouhaha, but I'd like to point out that there really weren't many systems *not* vulnerable to having their DNS polluted, thus causing their "forgotten password" emails to go to a controllable location. This attack was particularly fun on content management frameworks, because you don't just get the ability to read content: Forget the admin's password, and suddenly you get to post or modify arbitrary PHP thus allowing full remote code execution.

Whether it's more significant to get code execution on a CMS or user-level access to MySpace/Facebook/Google/Yahoo/AIM/Hotmail /GoToMyPC from one common attack is up to the discretions of the reader.

ameft said...

Jeremiah what about my work? Abusing HTML 5 Structured Client-side Storage: http://trivero.secdiscover.com/html5whitepaper.pdf
Do you think it's a good one for a mention?
I know, it's not fair to endorse themselves.. :)

Jeremiah Grossman said...

@avivra, you are now added to the list. Thanks much for the contribution!

@DanK, we still love ya and would be happy to add a reference. Do you have a preferred one you'd like linked? Having trouble finding one myself.

@ameft, absolutely you can! I'm hoping more people do since its so tough to keep track. Added to the list!

Anonymous said...

So far this is just looking like a massive pileup of vuln researcher self-fellatio. Meh.

Anonymous said...

Pers XSS in embedded devices via evil SSID and DHCP hostname by Rafael Dominguez is quite cool stuff:

http://usefulfor.com/security/2008/08/04/ssid-script-injection/
http://usefulfor.com/security/2008/08/04/dhcp-script-injection/

Arshan Dabirsiaghi said...

jeff's file download injection technique

pdp said...

Ok, this is going to be a long list:

* Navigation Hijacking (Frame/Tab Injection Attacks) - http://www.gnucitizen.org/blog/hijacking-innocent-frames/
* UPnP Hacking via Flash (really hot stuff and it affects all of your home appliance including your TV if it has been bought recently) - http://www.gnucitizen.org/blog/hacking-the-interwebs/
* Router Hacking Challenge (the biggest hacker challenge done so far and all of it is web stuff) - http://www.gnucitizen.org/blog/router-hacking-challenge/
* Total surveillance made easy with VoIP phones (one of the best web hacks ever) - http://www.gnucitizen.org/projects/total-surveillance-made-easy-with-voip-phones/
* Call Jacking: Phreaking the BT Home Hub (really cool web hack) - http://www.gnucitizen.org/blog/call-jacking/
* Social Networks Evil Twin Attacks (well, maybe not so much Web oriented) - http://www.gnucitizen.org/blog/social-networks-evil-twin-attacks/
* The Pownce Worm - http://www.gnucitizen.org/blog/the-pownce-worm/

MustLive said...

Jeremiah!

I sent you email with my 18 researches, which I published in 2008. These researches are just a part of researches which I made last year and with time I'll publish many other my researches (which I made in 2006, 2007 and 2008 years).

Do you make a list of hacking techniques only for 2008? Because such interesting technique as Cross-Site Printing was published in December 2007 and was in Top Web Hacking Techniques of 2007 (is it needed to repeat yourself). If it'll be new version of technique, than it's other case.

P.S.

Besides, about same-site scripting which was mentioned by Martin. I already wrote about attacking (particularly by XSS) localhost aka 127.0.0.1 already in November 2006 in my article Using of vulnerabilities at local machines (http://websecurity.com.ua/369/). Which you can read on English (http://www.google.com/translate?u=http://websecurity.com.ua/369/&langpair=ua%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF8).

Jeremiah Grossman said...

@Adrian, got them down at #55 and #56. Thanks much!

@Arshan, locked in at #57. Good one too, forgot about that.

@pdp, added most, but not all. Couldn't decide on a couple, but open to being convinced.

"Router Hacking Challenge", seem liked a collection of vulnerabilities, not "techniques". Didn't seem novel enough over existing research. Same reasoning behind "Call Jacking: Phreaking the BT Home Hub" and "The Pownce Worm". What should be reconsidered?

Anonymous said...

JSON Hijacking with UTF-7.
pp.57-62 of http://powerofcommunity.net/poc2008/hasegawa.pptx

Jeremiah Grossman said...

Added, thanks!

Anonymous said...

Winamp "NowPlaying" Unspecified Vulnerability: The Details (http://blog.watchfire.com/wfblog/2008/09/winamp-nowplayi.html)
- The post discussed an attack against a desktop application (Winamp, in this case). It consisted of poisoning the metadata of mp3 files with JavaScript. When played, the poisoned mp3 files caused a script-injection into the context of an embedded browser within Winamp. Since the injected JavaScript code had some access to internal functionalities of Winamp, the attack could potentially be further extended to the "desktop world".

Anonymous said...

CSRF on Novell GroupWise WebAccess allows email theft and other attacks

Although this vulnerability has just been published now in the year 2009, it was discovered in October 2008, thus I thought it was worth adding to the list.

By forging the request that adds a new forwarding rule, a copy of any email sent to the victim user will be sent to the attacker's inbox.

The bug affects all supported versions of Novell GroupWise, the third-biggest corporate email software product which has a base of about 30 million users according to Novell.

It could be argued that this is a vulnerability, and not a technique. Well, in reality it's both. The feature being forged is different to the usual CSRF payloads that most people are familiar with:

- adding a new administrative user (applies to admin consoles)
- changing the targeted user's password (would only work if the current password is NOT required to change to a new one)
- transferring money (applies to financial apps)

MustLive said...

Adrian, yes it's possible to include this new research in current list.

It depends on position of the author. For example, yesterday I wrote article Enumerating logins via Abuse of Functionality vulnerabilities (http://websecurity.com.ua/2840/, which you can read on English http://www.google.com/translate?u=http://websecurity.com.ua/2840/&langpair=ua%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF8).
I made this research in March 2008, but because I published it this year, this article would be for 2009's hack techniques.

Jeremiah Grossman said...

@Adrian, not to take anything way from the good research, but I don't think this qualify as a new "technique." While there is some wiggle room for inclusion, really wanted to stay away from a general list of vulnerabilities.

Jeremiah Grossman said...

@Yair, Im on the edge on this one. Its cool stuff for sure, but can we consider this web-based? I'll probably take your word for it either way...what do you think?

Anonymous said...

@Jer

I have sent my submission on your email id jeremiah@whitehatsec.com

If it needs to be changed. Let me know.

Anonymous said...

All part of the same attack:

http://www.secforce.co.uk/media/presentations/OWASP_Abusing_PHP_sockets.pdf
http://www.secforce.co.uk/media/tools/socket_attack.zip
http://www.secforce.co.uk/media/demos/PHP_socket_hijacking_demo.html

Anonymous said...


SQL Smuggling


Released end of 2007, but publicized this year .

Also was a recent lecture at RSA Conference Europe...

Jeremiah Grossman said...

Abusing PHP sockets added, as was SQL Smuggling and CSRF on Novell GroupWise WebAccess.

Thanks all, good work!

Unknown said...

what about the CSS Attribute Reader?

Was paralelly discovered by Wisec and I (and I disclosed it on Microsoft Bluehat, and Wisec disclosed it on RuxCon), check out wisec's PoC:
http://www.wisec.it/CssSteal/frame.html

What that is doing, is reading from here:
http://www.wisec.it/CssSteal/vulnNoScript.php

The value of a hidden attribute:
input type='hidden' value='ap23_$$'

Without the use of javascript!! just pure CSS!! isnt that awesome??

It's a potential attack for XSS without JS (Cross Site Styling?)

References:
- http://sirdarckcat.blogspot.com/2008/10/about-css-attacks.html (checkout the last title about CSS attribute reader)

- http://www.yscx.net/root/documents/The_Sexy_Assassin.ppt

- http://eaea.sirdarckcat.net/cssar/v2/?source

- http://www.ush.it/team/ascii/Attacking_Rich_Internet_Applications.ppt

Unknown said...

Oh! and the CSSH! CSS Stealing Some History - Monitor!

The PoC:
http://eaea.sirdarckcat.net/cssh-mon/cssh-mon.php

What it does is it fetches all the websites you have visited, and the ones you "are" visiting.. so if for example, you go to www.w3.org and then on other tab you go to:
http://eaea.sirdarckcat.net/cssh-mon/cssh-mon.php?z=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F

Then you can navigate on w3.org and the CSSH-MON will fetch all your navigation history (with the exact time you clicked each link).

The references are:
http://www.yscx.net/root/documents/The_Sexy_Assassin.ppt
http://p42.us/css/