GHSA-XQ3W-V528-46RV

Vulnerability from github – Published: 2024-11-12 19:53 – Updated: 2025-02-18 15:57
VLAI
Summary
Denial of Service attack on windows app using netty
Details

Summary

An unsafe reading of environment file could potentially cause a denial of service in Netty. When loaded on an Windows application, Netty attemps to load a file that does not exist. If an attacker creates such a large file, the Netty application crash.

Details

When the library netty is loaded in a java windows application, the library tries to identify the system environnement in which it is executed.

At this stage, Netty tries to load both /etc/os-release and /usr/lib/os-release even though it is in a Windows environment.

1

If netty finds this files, it reads them and loads them into memory.

By default :

  • The JVM maximum memory size is set to 1 GB,
  • A non-privileged user can create a directory at C:\ and create files within it.

2

3

the source code identified : https://github.com/netty/netty/blob/4.1/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/internal/PlatformDependent.java

Despite the implementation of the function normalizeOs() the source code not verify the OS before reading C:\etc\os-release and C:\usr\lib\os-release.

PoC

Create a file larger than 1 GB of data in C:\etc\os-release or C:\usr\lib\os-release on a Windows environnement and start your Netty application.

To observe what the application does with the file, the security analyst used "Process Monitor" from the "Windows SysInternals" suite. (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/)

cd C:\etc
fsutil file createnew os-release 3000000000

4

5

The source code used is the Netty website code example : Echo ‐ the very basic client and server.

The vulnerability was tested on the 4.1.112.Final version.

The security analyst tried the same technique for C:\proc\sys\net\core\somaxconn with a lot of values to impact Netty but the only things that works is the "larger than 1 GB file" technique. https://github.com/netty/netty/blob/c0fdb8e9f8f256990e902fcfffbbe10754d0f3dd/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/NetUtil.java#L186

Impact

By loading the "file larger than 1 GB" into the memory, the Netty library exceeds the JVM memory limit and causes a crash in the java Windows application.

This behaviour occurs 100% of the time in both Server mode and Client mode if the large file exists.

Client mode :

6

Server mode :

7

somaxconn :

8

Severity

  • Attack vector : "Local" because the attacker needs to be on the system where the Netty application is running.
  • Attack complexity : "Low" because the attacker only need to create a massive file (regardless of its contents).
  • Privileges required : "Low" because the attacker requires a user account to exploit the vulnerability.
  • User intercation : "None" because the administrator don't need to accidentally click anywhere to trigger the vulnerability. Furthermore, the exploitation works with defaults windows/AD settings.
  • Scope : "Unchanged" because only Netty is affected by the vulnerability.
  • Confidentiality : "None" because no data is exposed through exploiting the vulnerability.
  • Integrity : "None" because the explotation of the vulnerability does not allow editing, deleting or adding data elsewhere.
  • Availability : "High" because the exploitation of this vulnerability crashes the entire java application.
Severity
5.5 (Medium)
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.4 (Medium)
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P
Show details on source website
To clipboard 

{
  "affected": [
    {
      "database_specific": {
        "last_known_affected_version_range": "\u003c= 4.1.114.Final"
      },
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "Maven",
        "name": "io.netty:netty-common"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "4.1.115.Final"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "aliases": [
    "CVE-2024-47535"
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "cwe_ids": [
      "CWE-400"
    ],
    "github_reviewed": true,
    "github_reviewed_at": "2024-11-12T19:53:17Z",
    "nvd_published_at": "2024-11-12T16:15:22Z",
    "severity": "MODERATE"
  },
  "details": "### Summary\n\nAn unsafe reading of environment file could potentially cause a denial of service in Netty.\nWhen loaded on an Windows application, Netty attemps to load a file that does not exist. If an attacker creates such a large file, the Netty application crash.\n\n\n### Details\n\nWhen the library netty is loaded in a java windows application, the library tries to identify the system environnement in which it is executed.\n\nAt this stage, Netty tries to load both `/etc/os-release` and `/usr/lib/os-release` even though it is in a Windows environment. \n\n\u003cimg width=\"364\" alt=\"1\" src=\"https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/9466b181-9394-45a3-b0e3-1dcf105def59\"\u003e\n\nIf netty finds this files, it reads them and loads them into memory.\n\nBy default :\n\n- The JVM maximum memory size is set to 1 GB,\n- A non-privileged user can create a directory at `C:\\` and create files within it.\n\n\u003cimg width=\"340\" alt=\"2\" src=\"https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/43b359a2-5871-4592-ae2b-ffc40ac76831\"\u003e\n\n\u003cimg width=\"523\" alt=\"3\" src=\"https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ad5c6eed-451c-4513-92d5-ba0eee7715c1\"\u003e\n\nthe source code identified :\nhttps://github.com/netty/netty/blob/4.1/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/internal/PlatformDependent.java\n\nDespite the implementation of the function `normalizeOs()` the source code not verify the OS before reading `C:\\etc\\os-release` and `C:\\usr\\lib\\os-release`.\n\n### PoC\n\nCreate a file larger than 1 GB of data in `C:\\etc\\os-release` or `C:\\usr\\lib\\os-release` on a Windows environnement and start your Netty application.\n\nTo observe what the application does with the file, the security analyst used \"Process Monitor\" from the \"Windows SysInternals\" suite. (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/)\n\n```\ncd C:\\etc\nfsutil file createnew os-release 3000000000\n```\n\n\u003cimg width=\"519\" alt=\"4\" src=\"https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/39df22a3-462b-4fd0-af9a-aa30077ec08f\"\u003e\n\n\u003cimg width=\"517\" alt=\"5\" src=\"https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/129dbd50-fc36-4da5-8eb1-582123fb528f\"\u003e\n\nThe source code used is the Netty website code example : [Echo \u2010 the very basic client and server](https://netty.io/4.1/xref/io/netty/example/echo/package-summary.html).\n\nThe vulnerability was tested on the 4.1.112.Final version.\n\nThe security analyst tried the same technique for `C:\\proc\\sys\\net\\core\\somaxconn` with a lot of values to impact Netty but the only things that works is the \"larger than 1 GB file\" technique. https://github.com/netty/netty/blob/c0fdb8e9f8f256990e902fcfffbbe10754d0f3dd/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/NetUtil.java#L186\n\n### Impact\n\nBy loading the \"file larger than 1 GB\" into the memory, the Netty library exceeds the JVM memory limit and causes a crash in the java Windows application.\n\nThis behaviour occurs 100% of the time in both Server mode and Client mode if the large file exists.\n\nClient mode :\n\n\u003cimg width=\"449\" alt=\"6\" src=\"https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f8fe1ed0-1a42-4490-b9ed-dbc9af7804be\"\u003e\n\nServer mode :\n\n\u003cimg width=\"464\" alt=\"7\" src=\"https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/b34b42bd-4fbd-4170-b93a-d29ba87b88eb\"\u003e\n\nsomaxconn :\n\n\u003cimg width=\"532\" alt=\"8\" src=\"https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/0656b3bb-32c6-4ae2-bff7-d93babba08a3\"\u003e\n\n### Severity\n\n- Attack vector : \"Local\" because the attacker needs to be on the system where the Netty application is running.\n- Attack complexity : \"Low\" because the attacker only need to create a massive file (regardless of its contents).\n- Privileges required : \"Low\" because the attacker requires a user account to exploit the vulnerability.\n- User intercation : \"None\" because the administrator don\u0027t need to accidentally click anywhere to trigger the vulnerability. Furthermore, the exploitation works with defaults windows/AD settings.\n- Scope : \"Unchanged\" because only Netty is affected by the vulnerability.\n- Confidentiality : \"None\" because no data is exposed through exploiting the vulnerability.\n- Integrity : \"None\" because the explotation of the vulnerability does not allow editing, deleting or adding data elsewhere.\n- Availability : \"High\" because the exploitation of this vulnerability crashes the entire java application.",
  "id": "GHSA-xq3w-v528-46rv",
  "modified": "2025-02-18T15:57:45Z",
  "published": "2024-11-12T19:53:17Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/netty/netty/security/advisories/GHSA-xq3w-v528-46rv"
    },
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-47535"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/netty/netty/commit/fbf7a704a82e7449b48bd0bbb679f5661c6d61a3"
    },
    {
      "type": "PACKAGE",
      "url": "https://github.com/netty/netty"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.4.0",
  "severity": [
    {
      "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H",
      "type": "CVSS_V3"
    },
    {
      "score": "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P",
      "type": "CVSS_V4"
    }
  ],
  "summary": "Denial of Service attack on windows app using netty"
}


Log in or create an account to share your comment.




Tags
Taxonomy of the tags.





Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.

Sightings

Author Source Type Date Other

Nomenclature

  • Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
  • Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
  • Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
  • Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
  • Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.


Detection rules are retrieved from Rulezet.