Re: Multiple Vulnerabilities In P-Synch Password Management

From: Idan Shoham (idanat_private)
Date: Fri May 30 2003 - 09:03:36 PDT

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    The following can be taken as an official response from the vendor:
    M-Tech Information Technology, Inc. (http://mtechIT.com/) to this
    "vulnerability:"
    
    1) The actual risk of these issues to production deployments of
       P-Synch is nil, as users do not normally, or in our experience ever,
       access P-Synch by clicking a URL on a third-party web server.
    
       Cross-site scripting attacks only affect the web browser of
       users who click a maliciously-constructed URL to a valid
       application URL, and this mode of attacking user browsers is
       simply not relevant to a normal P-Synch deployment.
    
       Users access P-Synch in one of several ways, none of which
       expose their browser to cross-site scripting attacks:
    
       a) By typing a well known URL, such as "password" in their browser,
          and relying on the DNS infrastructure of their organization
          (e.g., password --> password.acme.com --> P-Synch server).
    
       b) By triggering transparent password synchronization with a native
          password change on some system (and where no browser is involved).
    
       c) Using an IVR system and telephone (again, no browser).
    
       d) By clicking on a link to P-Synch on their corporate Intranet,
          which is highly unlikely to be compromised by a mangled URL.
    
    2) A fix for both issues has been available to M-Tech customers
       for some time.  Despite extremely low risk, M-Tech was already
       aware, in particular of the path disclosure issue, and had already
       resolved it.
    
    3) Path disclosure is trivial in this case.  The fact that P-Synch
       was installed on "C:\Program Files\P-Synch" is hardly sensitive
       and security through obscurity is obviously a falsehood.  The
       P-Synch application is hardened, and knowledge on the part of
       an intruder that the software is installed in a given directory,
       on a machine that should in normal deployments have no filesystem
       shares or other remote access mechanisms, is meaningless.
    
    4) The contents of the filesystem of the P-Synch server are not
       affected.  For example, issuing a URL such as:
    
       http://demobox/demo/psdemo/nph-psf.exe?css=c:\test.dat
    
       will simply cause a web browser that follows this link to get
       an HTML page that includes the text:
    
       <style type="text/css" media="all">
       @import "c:\test.dat";
       </STYLE>
    
    The original poster never made an effort to notify M-Tech of the
    "discovered vulnerability," and does not have a legitimate copy of P-Synch
    (presumably because he refused to sign a license agreement which many
    customers and prospects sign daily to get a free evaluation copy of the
    software).  As there are extremely few P-Synch deployments facing the
    Internet, it is very unlikely that the poster "came across" P-Synch by
    accident.
    
    Customers and prospects are encouraged to contact M-Tech for 
    more detailed information about this issue, and to download
    patches if they feel the vulnerability is worth addressing.
    
    
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    >From: JeiAr <jeiarat_private>
    >To: bugtraqat_private
    >Subject: Multiple Vulnerabilities In P-Synch Password Management
    >
    >
    >
    >Multiple Vulnerabilities In P-Synch Password Management
    >-------------------------------------------------------
    >The other night I came across a server running P-Synch. 
    >I had never heard of it so i was curious to poke around 
    >on it a bit. Within an hour i found the vulns listed below. 
    >Im pretty sure there are other more serious vulns in 
    >P-Synch, but they are very picky about who they give thier
    >software to, even an evaluation version. So was not able
    >to test any further. However i encourage any admins running
    >P-Synch to poke around on it, just to be on the safe side.
    >
    >
    >
    >Description
    >-------------------------------------------------------
    >P-Synch Total Password Management Solution  
    >by M-TECH
    >P-Synch is a total password management solution. It is 
    >intended to reduce the cost of ownership of password systems, 
    >and simultaneously improve the security of password protected 
    >systems. This is done through: -Password Synchronization. 
    >-Enforcing an enterprise wide password strength policy. 
    >-Allowing authenticated users to reset their own forgotten 
    >passwords and enable their locked out accounts. -Streamlining 
    >help desk call resolution for password resets. P-Synch is 
    >available for both internal use, on the corporate Intranet, 
    >as well as for the Internet deployment in B2B and B2C 
    >applications.
    >
    >http://www.securityfocus.com/products/837
    >
    >
    >
    >Problems
    >-------------------------------------------------------
    >All of these problems are simple, self explanatory vulns
    >so, i'm sure the below examples will speak for themselves.
    >Once again this application was NOT thoroughly researced.
    >So anyone with a copy of P-Synch might wanna explore it
    >further.
    >
    >
    >
    >Path Disclosure Vulnerability
    >-------------------------------------------------------
    >https://path/to/psynch/nph-psa.exe?lang=
    >https://path/to/psynch/nph-psf.exe?lang=
    >
    >
    >Code Injection Vulnerability
    >-------------------------------------------------------
    >https://path/to/psynch/nph-psf.exe?css=">[VBScript, JScript etc]
    >https://path/to/psynch/nph-psa.exe?css=">[VBScript, JScript etc]
    >
    >
    >File Include Vulnerability
    >-------------------------------------------------------
    >https://path/to/psynch/nph-psf.exe?css=http://somesite/file
    >https://path/to/psynch/nph-psa.exe?css=http://somesite/file
    >
    >
    >
    >Credits
    >-------------------------------------------------------
    >All credits go to JeiAr of GulfTech Computers and CSA 
    >Security Research http://www.gulftech.org
    >
    



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