Attacking Applications Connecting to Services

Applications that are connected to services often include connection strings that can be leaked if they are not protected sufficiently.

ELF Executable

The octopus_checker binary is found on a remote machine during the testing. Running the application locally reveals that it connects to database instances in order to verify that they are available.

anonmak9@htb[/htb]$ ./octopus_checker 

Program had started..
Attempting Connection 
Connecting ... 

The driver reported the following diagnostics whilst running SQLDriverConnect

01000:1:0:[unixODBC][Driver Manager]Can't open lib 'ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server' : file not found
connected

The binary probably connects using a SQL connection string that contains credentials. Using tools like PEDA (Python Exploit Development Assistance for GDB) we can further examine the file. This is an extension of the standard GNU Debugger (GDB), which is used for debugging C and C++ programs. GDB is a command line tool that lets you step through the code, set breakpoints, and examine and change variables. Running the following command we can execute the binary through it.

gdb ./octopus_checker

Once the binary is loaded, we set the disassembly-flavor to define the display style of the code, and we proceed with disassembling the main function of the program.

gdb-peda$ set disassembly-flavor intel
gdb-peda$ disas main

Dump of assembler code for function main:
   0x0000555555555456 <+0>:	endbr64 
   0x000055555555545a <+4>:	push   rbp
   0x000055555555545b <+5>:	mov    rbp,rsp
 
 <SNIP>
 
   0x0000555555555625 <+463>:	call   0x5555555551a0 <_ZStlsISt11char_traitsIcEERSt13basic_ostreamIcT_ES5_PKc@plt>
   0x000055555555562a <+468>:	mov    rdx,rax
   0x000055555555562d <+471>:	mov    rax,QWORD PTR [rip+0x299c]        # 0x555555557fd0
   0x0000555555555634 <+478>:	mov    rsi,rax
   0x0000555555555637 <+481>:	mov    rdi,rdx
   0x000055555555563a <+484>:	call   0x5555555551c0 <_ZNSolsEPFRSoS_E@plt>
   0x000055555555563f <+489>:	mov    rbx,QWORD PTR [rbp-0x4a8]
   0x0000555555555646 <+496>:	lea    rax,[rbp-0x4b7]
   0x000055555555564d <+503>:	mov    rdi,rax
   0x0000555555555650 <+506>:	call   0x555555555220 <_ZNSaIcEC1Ev@plt>
   0x0000555555555655 <+511>:	lea    rdx,[rbp-0x4b7]
   0x000055555555565c <+518>:	lea    rax,[rbp-0x4a0]
   0x0000555555555663 <+525>:	lea    rsi,[rip+0xa34]        # 0x55555555609e
   0x000055555555566a <+532>:	mov    rdi,rax
   0x000055555555566d <+535>:	call   0x5555555551f0 <_ZNSt7__cxx1112basic_stringIcSt11char_traitsIcESaIcEEC1EPKcRKS3_@plt>
   0x0000555555555672 <+540>:	lea    rax,[rbp-0x4a0]
   0x0000555555555679 <+547>:	mov    edx,0x2
   0x000055555555567e <+552>:	mov    rsi,rbx
   0x0000555555555681 <+555>:	mov    rdi,rax
   0x0000555555555684 <+558>:	call   0x555555555329 <_Z13extract_errorNSt7__cxx1112basic_stringIcSt11char_traitsIcESaIcEEEPvs>
   0x0000555555555689 <+563>:	lea    rax,[rbp-0x4a0]
   0x0000555555555690 <+570>:	mov    rdi,rax
   0x0000555555555693 <+573>:	call   0x555555555160 <_ZNSt7__cxx1112basic_stringIcSt11char_traitsIcESaIcEED1Ev@plt>
   0x0000555555555698 <+578>:	lea    rax,[rbp-0x4b7]
   0x000055555555569f <+585>:	mov    rdi,rax
   0x00005555555556a2 <+588>:	call   0x5555555551d0 <_ZNSaIcED1Ev@plt>
   0x00005555555556a7 <+593>:	cmp    WORD PTR [rbp-0x4b2],0x0

<SNIP>

   0x0000555555555761 <+779>:	mov    rbx,QWORD PTR [rbp-0x8]
   0x0000555555555765 <+783>:	leave  
   0x0000555555555766 <+784>:	ret    
End of assembler dump.

This reveals several call instructions that point to addresses containing strings. They appear to be sections of a SQL connection string, but the sections are not in order, and the endianness entails that the string text is reversed. Endianness defines the order that the bytes are read in different architectures. Further down the function, we see a call to SQLDriverConnect.

   0x00005555555555ff <+425>:	mov    esi,0x0
   0x0000555555555604 <+430>:	mov    rdi,rax
   0x0000555555555607 <+433>:	call   0x5555555551b0 <SQLDriverConnect@plt>
   0x000055555555560c <+438>:	add    rsp,0x10
   0x0000555555555610 <+442>:	mov    WORD PTR [rbp-0x4b4],ax

Adding a breakpoint at this address and running the program once again, reveals a SQL connection string in the RDX register address, containing the credentials for a local database instance.

gdb-peda$ b *0x5555555551b0

Breakpoint 1 at 0x5555555551b0


gdb-peda$ run

Starting program: /htb/rollout/octopus_checker 
[Thread debugging using libthread_db enabled]
Using host libthread_db library "/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libthread_db.so.1".
Program had started..
Attempting Connection 
[----------------------------------registers-----------------------------------]
RAX: 0x55555556c4f0 --> 0x4b5a ('ZK')
RBX: 0x0 
RCX: 0xfffffffd 
RDX: 0x7fffffffda70 ("DRIVER={ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server};SERVER=localhost, 1401;UID=username;PWD=password;")
RSI: 0x0 
RDI: 0x55555556c4f0 --> 0x4b5a ('ZK')

<SNIP>

Apart from trying to connect to the MS SQL service, penetration testers can also check if the password is reusable from users of the same network.

DLL File Examination

A DLL file is a Dynamically Linked Library and it contains code that is called from other programs while they are running. The MultimasterAPI.dll binary is found on a remote machine during the enumeration process. Examination of the file reveals that this is a .Net assembly.

C:\> Get-FileMetaData .\MultimasterAPI.dll

<SNIP>
M
 .NETFramework,Version=v4.6.1
 TFrameworkDisplayName.NET Framework 4.6.1
   
 api/getColleagues 
       !
 htt
p://localhost:8081
*POST         Ò^       
  øJ  ø,  RSDSœ»¡ÍuqœK£"Y¿bˆ
   C:\Users\Hazard\Desktop\Stuff\Multimast
<SNIP>

Using the debugger and .NET assembly editor dnSpy, we can view the source code directly. This tool allows reading, editing, and debugging the source code of a .NET assembly (C# and Visual Basic). Inspection of MultimasterAPI.Controllers -> ColleagueController reveals a database connection string containing the password.

Apart from trying to connect to the MS SQL service, attacks like password spraying can also be used to test the security of other services.