README

CS 642: Computer Security

Project One


---==[ The Environment ]==---

You will test your exploit programs within a VMware virtual machine
(VM) we provide, which is configured with Debian stable ("Lenny").

You can use the ssh daemons running in the image to transfer files
into the VM, or access the Web directly from the VM using something
like wget.

---==[ The Targets ]==---

The targets/ directory in the assignment tarball contains the source
code for the targets, along with a Makefile specifying how they are to
be built.

Your exploits should assume that the compiled target programs are
installed setuid-root in /tmp -- /tmp/target1, /tmp/target2, etc.

Note that there are five targets that you are responsible for.

To build the targets, change to the pp1/targets directory and type
"make" on the command line; the Makefile will take care of building
the targets.

To install the target binaries in /tmp, run "make install".

To make the target binaries setuid-root, first run "make install";
then, *as root*, run "make setuid".  You can get a root shell in the
current directory using the "su" command; once you've run "make
setuid" you can exit this shell, which will return you to your user
shell.  Alternatively, you can keep a separate terminal or virtual
console open with a root login, and run "make setuid" (in the
~user/pp1/targets directory!) in that terminal or console.

Keep in mind that it'll be easier to debug the exploits if the targets
aren't setuid.  (See below for more on debugging.)  If an exploit
succeeds in getting a user shell on a non-setuid target in /tmp, it
should succeed in getting a root shell on that target when it is
setuid.  (But be sure to test that way, too, before submitting your
solutions!)

---==[ The Exploits ]==---

The sploits/ directory in the assignment tarball contains skeleton
source for the exploits which you are to write, along with a Makefile
for building them.  Also included is shellcode.h, which gives Aleph
One's shellcode.

---==[ The Assignment ]==---

You are to write exploits, one per target.  Each exploit, when run in
the virtual machine with its target installed setuid-root in /tmp,
should yield a root shell (/bin/sh).

Your task is to attack the five targets named target1 through
target5.

---==[ Hints ]==---

Read the readings in Phrack suggested below.  Read Aleph One's paper
carefully, in particular.  Read Scut's paper on format string
vulnerabilities, linked from the course syllabus.

To understand what's going on, it is helpful to run code through gdb.
See the GDB tips section below.

Make sure that your exploits work within the provided virtual machine.

Start early!  Theoretical knowledge of exploits does not readily
translate into the ability to write working exploits. Target1 is
relatively simple and the other problems are quite a bit more
complicated.

---==[ GDB tips ]==---

Notice the ``disassemble'' and ``stepi'' commands.

You may find the ``x''command useful to examine memory (and the
different ways you can print the contents such as ``"/a'' ``/i''
after ``x''). The ``info register''command is helpful in printing
out the contents of registers such as ebp and esp.

A useful way to run gdb is to use the -e and -s command line flags;
for example, the command ``gdb -e sploit3 -s /tmp/target3'' in the VM
tells gdb to execute sploit3 and use the symbol file in target3.
These flags let you trace the execution of the target3 after the
sploit's memory image has been replaced with the target's through the
execve system call.

When running gdb using these command line flags, you should follow
the following procedure for setting breakpoints and debugging memory:

1. tell gdb to notify you on exec(), by issuing the command ``catch
   exec''
2. run the program.  gdb will execute the sploit until the execve
   syscall, then return control to you
3. set any breakpoints you want in the target
4. resume execution by telling gdb ``continue'' (or just ``c'').

If you try to set breakpoints before the exec boundary, you will
get a segfault.

If you wish, you can instrument the target code with arbitrary
assembly using the __asm__ () pseudofunction, to help with debugging.
Be sure, however, that your final exploits work against the unmodified
targets, since these we will use these in grading.

---==[ Warnings ]==---

Aleph One gives code that calculates addresses on the target's stack
based on addresses on the exploit's stack.  Addresses on the exploit's
stack can change based on how the exploit is executed (working
directory, arguments, environment, etc.); in my testing, I do not
guarantee to execute your exploits exactly the same way bash does.

You must therefore hard-code target stack locations in your exploits.
You should *not* use a function such as get_sp() in the exploits you
hand in.

(In other words, in grading the exploits may be run with a different
environment and different working directory than one would get by
logging in as user, changing directory to ~/pp1/sploits, and running
./sploit1, etc.; your exploits should work even so.)

Your exploit programs should not take any command-line arguments.

---==[ Deliverables ]==---

You will have three deliverables.

(1) You will need to submit the source code for your exploits (sploit1 through sploit5), along
    with any files (Makefile, shellcode.h) necessary for building
    them.

(2) In addition, along with each exploit, you should include a text
    file (sploit1.txt, sploit2.txt, and so on).  In this text file,
    explain how your exploit works: what the bug is in the
    corresponding target, how you exploit it, and where the various
    constants in your exploit come from.

(3) Finally, you must include file called ID which contains, on a
    single line, the following: your UW ID; and your name, in the
    format last name, comma, first name.  An example:

    $ cat ./ID
    9064562678 Doe, John
    $

    If you work with a partner, the ID file should contain two lines,
    one for each of you.

You can submit your work via handin: handin -c cs642-1 -a pp1 -d <DIRECTORY>.

---==[ Grading ]==---

You will receive two points (out of 10) for each exploit that yields a
root shell in our testing.  There will not normally be partial credit,
but we may make an exception depending on your explanatory writeup.
We may also ask you to explain to us how and why each exploit works.
If you work with a partner, be sure that each of you understands every
exploit you turn in!


---==[ Suggested reading in Phrack, www.phrack.org ]==---

Aleph One, ``Smashing the Stack for Fun and Profit,'' Phrack 49 #14.
klog, ``The Frame Pointer Overwrite,'' Phrack 55 #08.
Bulba and Kil3r, ``Bypassing StackGuard and StackShield, Phrack 56 #0x05.
Silvio Cesare, ``Shared Library Call Redirection via ELF PLT Infection,'' Phrack 56 #0x07.
Michel Kaempf, ``Vudo - An Object Superstitiously Believed to Embody Magical Powers,'' Phrack 57 #0x08.
Anonymous, ``Once Upon a free()...,'' Phrack 57 #0x09.
Nergal, ``The Advanced Return-into-lib(c) Exploits: PaX Case Study,'' Phrack 58 #0x04.
Gera and Riq, ``Advances in Format String Exploiting,'' Phrack 59 #0x04.
Anonymous, ``Bypassing PaX ASLR Protection,'' Phrack 59 #0x09.
blexim, ``Basic Integer Overflows,'' Phrack 60 #0x10.

---==[ Other Books ]==---

W. Richard Stevens, /Advanced Programming in the Unix Environment./  Addison-Wesley, 1993.
AEleen Frisch, /Essential System Administration,/ second edition.  O'Reilly, 1995.

/IA-32 Software Developer's Manual, Vol. 1: Basic Architecture./  Intel, 2001.
/IA-32 Software Developer's Manual, Vol. 2: Instruction Set Reference./  Intel, 2001.
/IA-32 Software Developer's Manual, Vol. 3: System Programming Guide./  Intel, 2001.

(The latest versions of these manuals are online at
 http://developer.intel.com/products/processor/manuals/ .)

Dean Elsner, Jay Fenlason, et al., /Using AS./  FSF, 1994.
Richard Stallman et al., /Using the GNU Compiler Collection/ FSF, 2002.
Richard Stallman, Roland Pesch, Stan Shebs, et al. /Debugging with GDB./  FSF, 2001.

(These are online at http://www.gnu.org/manual/manual.html .)