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New ssh Exploit in the Wild
veg writes "In the last few hours there have been several reports of a new ssh bug, with an exploit seemingly in the wild. Oh god not again... The lengths some people will goto to try and damage Theo's pride." Update: 09/17 00:24 GMT by T : friscolr writes "Hot on the heels of rev 1 of the buffer.adv advisory, here is revision 2, which fixes more than revision 1 did. Also see the 3.7.1 release notes."
Best patch and upgr..&*[NO CARRIER]
C:\>
I have to wonder if UsePrivilegeSeparation was enabled. (see the manpage)
One message in the thread indicates it is but this isn't first-hand knowledge. If PrivSep was enabled then is OpenBSD immune to this attack due to other parts of the OS being hardened (much like the zlib hole a few months back)? Also are these default installations or are they "tweaked"? As an aside, PermitRootLogin defaults to enabled, something I always disable as I have no need for it.
Even if this does count as a new remote hole in OpenBSD, it's still a phenomenal track record they can be proud of.
Trolling is a art,
Posting this to slashdot is actually a public service, as the exploit description will be /.'d and unable to effectively be disseminated to the bad actors.
Link to a patch.
[Full-Disclosure] new ssh exploit?
christopher neitzert chris@neitzert.com
Mon, 15 Sep 2003 13:48:34 -0400
More on this;
The systems in question are FreeBSD, RedHat, Gentoo, and Debian all
running the latest versions of OpenSSH.
The attack makes an enormous amount of ssh connections and attempts
various offsets until it finds one that works permitting root login.
I have received numerous messages from folks requesting anonymity or
direct-off-list-reply confirming this exploit;
The suggestions I have heard are:
Turn off SSH and
1. upgrade to lsh
2. add explicit rules to your edge devices allowing ssh from only-known
hosts.
3. put ssh behind a VPN on RFC-1918 space.
On Mon, 2003-09-15 at 12:02, christopher neitzert wrote:
> Does anyone know of or have source related to a new, and unpublished ssh
> exploit? An ISP I work with has filtered all SSH connections due to
> several root level incidents involving ssh. Any information is
> appreciated.
Thank god I'm using something secure like Telnet instead.
Yes, there is a vuln. in 3.6. You need to upgrade to 3.7 which was released today, to be safe (well, 'safer' anyway).
It will be 3.7p1 for us non-OpenBSD people.
It is a patch to one file, buffer.c, which fixes some allocation/offset stuff.
It seems that privilege separation does *not* help here - so get them systems patched (and firewalled)!
Damn trinity and her sshnuke...
How worried should I really be about this? And what steps should I be taking (or ask dad to take)? Since I gather Lindows is similar to Debian, should I just look for a Debian tutorial?
Thanks in advance.
This has already been posted and a fix (upgrade to 3.7) has been posted to www.deadly.org
This guy is way out there
Great, now maybe Redhat will fix their damn openssh RPMs that they fubarred with their last patch!
Anything is possible given time and money.
A librarian peeked around the corner to see where the noise was coming from, then put her finger to her lips and said, "Ssh!"
The kids ignored her and kept talking, completely and utterly exploiting the hole, and circumventing the 'Ssh'!
Never was I so frightened.
I appreciate it when Slashdot informs me of a patch I need to apply, but really, I'd rather hear about it once the exploit is actually understood and the patch is available.
Really?
How about hearing about it when you find your machines rooted?
Even though there is no patch available (yet), this heads-up is extremely valuable, as it allows people who cannot afford to be compromised to shut down or appropriately filter SSH on their systems.
Kaa
Kaa's Law: In any sufficiently large group of people most are idiots.
An updated ssh package just hit the Debian security mirrors.
For anyone running debian stable:
apt-get update
apt-get upgrade
A patch for Debian stable is available already. If you're running Debian on a server and have ssh installed, "apt-get update; apt-get upgrade" should pick it up. The new package version is 1:3.4p1-1.1.
-Stephen
... can be found here http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/fulldisclo
- cp openssh-3.6.1_p2.ebuild openssh-3.7_p1.ebuild
- emerge --update openssh
The emerge will fetch the file and complain that there is no digest.- ebuild openssh-3.7_p1.ebuild digest
- emerge --update openssh
Just tested it here, worked fine.Pat
Rather than subject someone's server (like mine!) to a slashdotting, here's the full text of the announcement (slightly mangled to sneak past the lameness filter).
Subject: OpenSSH 3.7 released
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 14:07:00 +0200
From: Markus Friedl
To: openssh-unix-dev _at_ mindrot.org
OpenSSH 3.7 has just been released. It will be available from the mirrors listed at http://www.openssh.com/ shortly.
OpenSSH is a 100% complete SSH protocol version 1.3, 1.5 and 2.0 implementation and includes sftp client and server support.
We would like to thank the OpenSSH community for their continued support to the project, especially those who contributed source and bought T-shirts or posters.
We have a new design of T-shirt available, more info on http://www.openbsd.org/tshirts.html#18
For international orders use http://https.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/order and for European orders, use http://https.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/order.eu
Security Changes:
All versions of OpenSSH's sshd prior to 3.7 contain a buffer management error. It is uncertain whether this error is potentially exploitable, however, we prefer to see bugs fixed proactively.
OpenSSH 3.7 fixes this bug.
Changes since OpenSSH 3.6.1:
* The entire OpenSSH code-base has undergone a license review. As a result, all non-ssh1.x code is under a BSD-style license with no advertising requirement. Please refer to README in the source distribution for the exact license terms.
* Rhosts authentication has been removed in ssh(1) and sshd(8).
* Changes in Kerberos support:
- KerberosV password support now uses a file cache instead of a memory cache.
- KerberosIV and AFS support has been removed.
- KerberosV support has been removed from SSH protocol 1.
- KerberosV password authentication support remains for SSH protocols 1 and 2.
- This release contains some GSSAPI user authentication support to replace legacy KerberosV authentication support. At present this code is still considered experimental and SHOULD NOT BE USED.
* Changed order that keys are tried in public key authentication. The ssh(1) client tries the keys in the following order:
1. ssh-agent(1) keys that are found in the ssh_config(5) file
2. remaining ssh-agent(1) keys
3. keys that are only listed in the ssh_config(5) file
This helps when an ssh-agent(1) has many keys, where the sshd(8) server might close the connection before the correct key is tried.
* SOCKS5 support has been added to the dynamic forwarding mode in ssh(1).
* Removed implementation barriers to operation of SSH over SCTP.
* sftp(1) client can now transfer files with quote characters in their filenames.
* Replaced sshd(8)'s VerifyReverseMapping with UseDNS option. When UseDNS option is on, reverse hostname lookups are always performed.
* Fix a number of memory leaks.
* Support for sending tty BREAK over SSH protocol 2.
* Workaround for other vendor bugs in KEX guess handling.
* Support for generating KEX-GEX groups (/etc/moduli) in ssh-keygen(1).
* Automatic re-keying based on amount of data sent over connection.
* New AddressFamily option on client to select protocol to use (IPv4 or IPv6).
* Experimental support for the "aes128-ctr", "aes192-ctr", and "aes256-ctr" ciphers for SSH protocol 2.
* Experimental support for host keys in DNS (draft-ietf-secsh-dns-xx.txt). Please see README.dns in the source distribution for details.
* Portable OpenSSH:
- Replace PAM password authentication kludge with a more correct PAM challenge-response module from FreeBSD.
- PAM support may now be enabled/disabled at runtime using the UsePAM directive.
- Many improvements to the OpenSC smartcard support.
- Regression tests now work with portable OpenSSH. Please refer to regress/README.regress in t
$ find
As opposed to the lengths people will go to to damage Microsoft? But that's ok, right?
An OpenSSH Security Advisory was just posted about this.
So I hear about this ssh exploit the exact same day that my inbox has Markus Friedl's announcement of the release of OpenSSH 3.7.
Either someone on the ssh team is making money from new releases or some black hat, upon downloading 3.7 and seeing the exploit fixed, decided to strike while the iron was still hot (machines weren't yet upgraded).
"Provided by the management for your protection."
Is it? I've successfully exploited my sshd (thank God for easy filtering with PF!)
o mpile/GENERIC
# dmesg | head -n2
OpenBSD 3.4-current (GENERIC) #62: Tue Sep 12 22:49:18 MDT 2003
deraadt@i386.openbsd.org:/usr/src/sys/arch/i386/c
If you don't want to wait for the official ebuild:
/usr/portage/net-misc/openssh/
cd
cp openssh-3.6.1_p2.ebuild openssh-3.7_p1.ebuild
emerge -f openssh-3.7_p1.ebuild
ebuild openssh-3.7_p1.ebuild digest
emerge openssh-3.7_p1.ebuild
Even though there is no patch available (yet)
There is a patch available, as well as it being fixed in 3.7, which was just released this morning. That's the point of all of this. The mention of the bug was in the 3.7 release notes, i believe.
It seems to me that a package that goes through code security audits regularly and is actually finished is infinitely more secure than an incomplete package?
Why are there people suggesting to go from a secure package to an insecure one?
I've released the SOURCE RPM...
you can always grab it and see for yourself..
I only changed buffer.c
Feel free to see for yourself..
I had to make all of these this morning to patch our systems..
ChiefArcher
This is the README from 1998, talking about a beta version of lsh. Don't let age-old doumentation fool you.
lsh has grown mature since then, and has an excellent code quality. I recommend it. Any day over OpenSSH, after having looked at the code of both projects. Up-to-date documentation, as on the web page, or the README inside the tarball, doesn't contain the warning.
you have an email address to...
and a resume www.briangannon.com
and the Source RPMS.
http://stradlin.com/ssh
if you do a diff on the sources, you will see I only edited buffer.c
my intentions are completely noble.
How can you really trust Redhat? One of the disgruntled developers could put a backdoor in a patch?
ChiefArcher
What a troll. Aiming to trick mods into "Informative", I suppose.
Any "linux user" who has openssh open to the world is a huge dumbass. What part of "firewall rules" don't you understand?
How would you suggest it be configured then? Just turn off remote login entirely? Or what other "firewall rule" could help in this situation?
I assume you are suggesting that people only allow ssh access from a specific, previously-known host. That removes much of ssh's utility (no more checking your system from a laptop in the hotel room), and even that sacrifice is not enough to be protective!
An attacker sniffing packets at your ISP can learn exactly which addresses you accept ssh connections over. Then he can spoof from that same address, and go right through the firewall.
The only way to protect yourself from unwanted outside connections is with correct crypto code.
A significant number of changes in 3.7 are removals (Kerberos 4, Kerberos5 in SSH1, AFS, Rhosts auth). Most people agree that simplicity is a wonderful goal... until that means the dropping (or not including) the feature they need or want. Then simplicity versus functionality versus security becomes a balancing act.
/usr/local/sbin/sshd /usr/local/bin/ssh /usr/local/sbin/sshd /usr/local/bin/ssh
To put the size comment in perspective (this is 3.7p1 on Linux/x86):
$ du -ks
272
224
$ find
I just read all these replies (about 15 right now) and all of them are nice and respectfull of the fact that this guy is a newbie!
I must be on the wrong site.
NarratorDan
"If you're not confused by quantum mechanics, you really don't understand it." - Niels Bohr
The bug must center around this line:
It looks like the problem here is that buffer->alloc (which presumably stores the size of the buffer) grows on every try, while the actual size of the buffer grows only on successful tries. So you could have a situation where, after a couple of tries, the buffer is 65536, but buffer->alloc is 98304. This could potentially cause another part of the program to run past the actual end of the buffer.
The patch addresses this by only updating buffer->alloc after the new memory has been successfully allocated.
They changed it from 0 to 1 when the last SSH vuln was disclosed. I see no reason that thye wouldn't do it this time. However, it's not afflicting OperBSD anyways...
And as comparison, how many patches do windows users normally need to install over the 'default install' to get it secure and close every hole in the default setup? Methinks slightly more than 1 or 2...
Ssh, don't tell anyone.
Omnis amans amens
It appears that the OpenSSH people found this bug first, and released a fix in version 3.7. People who studied this fix then found the exploit. So it's stupid for this guy to tell people "upgrade to lsh", since the whole reason his buds know about this bug is because 3.7 fixes it.
That's right! It can form remote connections, and generate random keys, and... and... uh, well, that's about it, actually. Form connections, generate session keys.
Public/private key generation? Different program. Managing keys on a local machine? Different program. Transferring files securely? Different (wrapper) program.
Got any concrete suggestions there? Exactly how would you divide the existing tools up? Precisely which tools would you create? In what ways -- details, now -- would they be different from the half-dozen programs that come with ssh now?
You cannot apply a technological solution to a sociological problem. (Edwards' Law)
You are already running windows. You have more serious problems.
A demonstration would be nice.
:-)
It'd serve you right if he gave you one.
It appears that *nix systems now have an exploit
Yep, *nix systems have exploits, and an hour or two turnaround between discovery and a fix. I'd like to see Microsoft match that.
"Linux has no exploits that need patching"
People who actually know Linux would never claim that there are no known exploits, just that the time-to-fix is much shorter and that applying these fixes to running systems is usually much easier (in most distributions) than in a Windows system (ie no reboot required, one location for all necessary fixes, better software package management, etc)
I use Linux and BSD at home, but manage Windows machines at work (I have no decision making power, I'm just a grunt) and I must say that Windows management is a royal pain in the ass. We've had no problems with the recent Windows viruses and worms, but I do spend an inordinate amount of time applying patches, rebooting machines, and checking that the new patches did not wipe out the old ones. I don't think that it is unreasonable for Microsoft's customers to demand better patch/upgrade management, a single location for updates to both applications, servers, and the OS, and a better method for confirming that the files included in a patch contain the all of the required fixes (for that file) even if they came from different departments at microsoft.
Read, L
you can restrict access in your /etc/sshd_config (wherever you have it) like so until you can get the patched version, if you allow access from anywhere:
DenyUsers *
AllowUsers you@your_ip_address
(and restart sshd)
You can also firewall the port off. I've done a hodge-podge of these solutions on different systems I admin until I can actually get the 3.7p1 source from the mirrors (they dont' seem to have it yet).
-- http://frobnosticate.com
The only really secure server is buried in concrete, unlugged and at the bottom of the deepest trench in the ocean. It's *probably* secure there, but I wouldn't bet my life on it.
That's okay, I will.
I bet this guy's life that a server on the bottom of the ocean is secure.
http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/337662/2003 -09-13/2003-09-19/0
No.
Yeah those "NO CARRIER" jokes just aren't fun@~%4!.z^%r#$% NO CARRIER
Life is too short to proofread.
No, it would still be an ssh vulnerability.
Remember, we're supposed to seperate the OS and the apps that have the holes...remember?
Or are we still using the term "Windows hole" when referring to Outlook?
"Sufferin' succotash."
Redhat has finally posted patched RPMS on their errata pages. Scroll down and select your release.
Redhat just released an advisory with links to updated RPMS: RHSA-2003-279
The FreeBSD team has released a related Security Advisory and issued patches for affected FreeBSD versions as well as OpenSSH in the ports tree.
Corrected:
2003-09-16 16:24:02 UTC (RELENG_4)
2003-09-16 16:27:57 UTC (RELENG_5_1)
2003-09-16 17:34:32 UTC (RELENG_5_0)
2003-09-16 16:24:02 UTC (RELENG_4_8)
2003-09-16 16:45:16 UTC (RELENG_4_7)
2003-09-16 17:44:15 UTC (RELENG_4_6)
2003-09-16 17:45:23 UTC (RELENG_4_5)
2003-09-16 17:46:02 UTC (RELENG_4_4)
2003-09-16 17:46:37 UTC (RELENG_4_3)
2003-09-16 12:43:09 UTC (ports/security/openssh)
2003-09-16 12:43:10 UTC (ports/security/openssh-portable)
Ooops, I had totally forgotten about that old copy of the README file in the ftp archive. After it was pointed out to me in private mail, I've replaced it with the current README. /Niels (LSH author)
missing000's comment is quite correct, there's a mistake in my original post. Omit the DenyUsers line, it will override the AllowUsers line. Just use the AllowUsers line by itself.
Sorry.
AllowUsers you@your_ip_address
Remember, always test making a new ssh connection before logging out of your existing one, after restarting sshd.
-- http://frobnosticate.com
Why are they bothering with proper cleanup? This is FATAL CONDITION! ABANDON SHIP!
Only guessing, but how about to ensure that the freed memory isn't handed over to a subsequently-run app, still stuffed full of cryptographically-sensitive information?
Tubal-Cain smokes the white owl.
iptables:
#!/bin/sh
insmod iptables
iptables -F INPUT
iptables -P INPUT ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -j ACCEPT -p tcp --destination-port 22 -s 1.2.3.4
iptables -A INPUT -j DROP -p tcp --destination-port 22
iptables -A INPUT -j DROP -p udp --destination-port 22
ipchains:
#!/bin/sh
insmod ipchains
ipchains -F input
ipchains -P input ACCEPT
ipchains -A input -j ACCEPT -p tcp --destination-port 22 -s 1.2.3.4
ipchains -A input -j DENY -p tcp --destination-port 22
ipchains -A input -j DENY -p udp --destination-port 22