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[Full-disclosure] TWiki Security Alert CVE-2013-1751: MAKETEXT Variable Has Another Shell Command Execution Issue

The %MAKETEXT{}% TWiki variable allows arbitrary shell command  
execution using tilde (~) characters. Only TWiki server with  
localization enabled are affected. This issue is a followup to  
SecurityAlert-CVE-2012-6329 of last December.

TWiki ( http://twiki.org ) is an Open Source Enterprise Wiki and Web  
2.0 Application Platform used by millions of people.

    * Vulnerable Software Version
    * Attack Vectors
    * Impact
    * Severity Level
    * MITRE Name for this Vulnerability
    * Details
    * Countermeasures
    * Hotfix for TWiki Production Release 5.1.x
    * Hotfix for Older Affected TWiki Releases
    * Verify Hotfix
    * Authors and Credits
    * Action Plan with Timeline
    * External Links
    * Feedback

---++ Vulnerable Software Version

    * TWiki-5.1.0 to TWiki-5.1.3 (TWikiRelease05x01x00 to  
TWikiRelease05x01x03)
    * TWiki-5.0.x (TWikiRelease05x00x00 to TWikiRelease05x00x02)
    * TWiki-4.3.x (TWikiRelease04x03x00 to TWikiRelease04x03x02)
    * TWiki-4.2.x (TWikiRelease04x02x00 to TWikiRelease04x02x04)
    * TWiki-4.1.x (TWikiRelease04x01x00 to TWikiRelease04x01x02)
    * TWiki-4.0.x (TWikiRelease04x00x00 to TWikiRelease04x00x05)

---++ Attack Vectors

Editing wiki pages and HTTP POST requests towards a TWiki server with  
enabled localization (typically port 80/TCP). Typically, prior  
authentication is necessary.

---++ Impact

An unauthenticated remote attacker can execute arbitrary shell  
commands as the webserver user, such as user nobody.

---++ Severity Level

The TWiki SecurityTeam triaged this issue as documented in  
TWikiSecurityAlertProcess [1] and assigned the following severity level:

    * Severity 1 issue: The web server can be compromised

---++ MITRE Name for this Vulnerability

The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project has assigned the name  
CVE-2013-1751 [7] to this vulnerability.

---++ Details

Shell Command execution issue: The %MAKETEXT{}% TWiki variable is used  
to localize user interface content to a language of choice. Using a  
specially crafted MAKETEXT, a malicious user can execute shell  
commands using tilde (~) characters. User input is passed to the Perl  
"eval" command without first being sanitized.

The original fix for this issue reported in SecurityAlert- 
CVE-2012-6329 [9] failed to eliminate one possible attack vector. This  
CVE applies an additional fix for the tilde character issue.

TWiki is not vulnerable if the {UserInerfaceInternationalization}  
configure setting is disabled, or if Locale::Maketext has been  
upgraded to version 1.23 as advised in SecurityAlert-CVE-2012-6329 [9].

---++ Countermeasures

   * One of:
      * Disable localization by setting configure flag  
{UserInterfaceInternationalisation} to 0.
      * Apply hotfix (see patch below).
      * Upgrade to the latest patched production release TWiki-5.1.4  
(TWikiRelease05x01x04) [2].

   * In addition:
      * Install CPAN:Locale::Maketext version 1.23 or newer.
      * Use the {SafeEnvPath} configure setting to restrict the  
possible directories that are searched for executables.  By default,  
this is the PATH used by the webserver user. Set {SafeEnvPath} to a  
list of non-writable directories, such as "/bin:/usr/bin".

---++ Hotfix for TWiki Production Release 5.1.x

Affected file: twiki/lib/TWiki.pm

Patch to sanitize MAKETEXT parameters:

=======( 8>< CUT )===============================================
--- TWiki.pm   (revision 25065)
+++ TWiki.pm   (working copy)
@@ -4328,8 +4328,8 @@
      $str =~ s/\]/~]/g;

      # restore already escaped stuff:
-    $str =~ s/~~\[/~[/g;
-    $str =~ s/~~\]/~]/g;
+    $str =~ s/~~+\[/~[/g;
+    $str =~ s/~~+\]/~]/g;

      # unescape parameters and calculate highest parameter number:
      my $max = 0;
=======( 8>< CUT )===============================================

This patch is handled at TWikibug Item7145 [8].

---++ Hotfix for Older Affected TWiki Releases

Apply above patch (line numbers may vary).

---++ Verify Hotfix

To verify the patch:

    * Add this to a topic:
      %MAKETEXT{"~~[quant,4, singular, plural, ~~]"}%
    * Expected output with internationalization enabled:
      [quant,4,singular,plural]
    * Expected output with internationalization disabled:
      ~[quant,4,singular,plural~]
    * Output on a vulnerable site:
      ~4 plural

---++ Authors and Credits

    * Credit to John Lightsey (john [at] nixnuts.net) for disclosing  
the issue to the twiki-security@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx mailing list,  
and for providing a proposed fix.
    * TWiki:Main.PeterThoeny for creating the fix, patch and advisory.

---++ Action Plan with Timeline

    * 2013-02-12 - John Lightsey of nixnuts.net discloses issue to  
TWikiSecurityMailingList [4]
    * 2013-02-13 - developer verifies issue - Peter Thoeny
    * 2013-02-15 - developer fixes code - Peter Thoeny
    * 2013-02-15 - security team creates advisory with hotfix - Peter  
Thoeny
    * 2013-02-16 - send alert to TWikiAnnounceMailingList [5] and  
TWikiDevMailingList [6] - Peter Thoeny
    * 2013-02-18 - publish advisory in Codev web and update all  
related topics - Peter Thoeny
    * 2013-02-18 - issue a public security advisory to full- 
disclosure[at]lists.grok.org.uk, cert[at]cert.org,  
vuln[at]secunia.com, bugs[at]securitytracker.com,  
submissions[at]packetstormsecurity.org - Peter Thoeny

---++ External Links

[1]: http://twiki.org/cgi-bin/view/Codev/TWikiSecurityAlertProcess
[2]: http://twiki.org/cgi-bin/view/Codev/TWikiRelease05x01x04
[3]: http://twiki.org/cgi-bin/view/Codev/SecurityAlert-CVE-2013-1751
[4]: http://twiki.org/cgi-bin/view/Codev/TWikiSecurityMailingList
[5]: http://twiki.org/cgi-bin/view/Codev/TWikiAnnounceMailingList
[6]: http://twiki.org/cgi-bin/view/Codev/TWikiDevMailingList
[7]: http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2013-1751 - CVE  
on MITRE.org
[8]: http://develop.twiki.org/~twiki4/cgi-bin/view/Bugs/Item7145
[9]: http://twiki.org/cgi-bin/view/Codev/SecurityAlert-CVE-2012-6329

---++ Feedback

Please provide feedback at the security alert topic at
http://twiki.org/cgi-bin/view/Codev/SecurityAlert-CVE-2012-6329

-- Peter Thoeny - http://twiki.org/ - 2013-02-18


-- 
   * Peter Thoeny     - peter09[at]thoeny.org
   * http://TWiki.org - is your team already TWiki enabled?
   * Knowledge cannot be managed, it can be discovered and shared
   * This e-mail is:   (_) private    (_) ask first    (x) public

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