RE: Yahoo Messenger Stale Sessions

["John Fitzgerald" <john () match-fit com>]

o be strictly accurate the malefactor may not have to spoof the IP
address (although if you're protected by a decent firewall then this
should police the IP address) but they would have to get the TCP
sequence correct (the TCP application on the host doesn't look at the IP
Address), however, TCP sequence number prediction isn't easy if you
can't sniff the traffic.

It is possible to predict the sequence number with some IP stacks...as
purportedly demonstrated by Kevin Mitnick... but in this instance he
inititated the TCP connection with a spoofed IP Address and then used an
unspoofed source IP for the next packet (predicting the initial sequence
number from the other end) while at the same time preventing the real
host at the spoofed address upsetting matters with a RST (by occupying
it with a SYN flood) In the case described the malefactor doesn't know
how many packets have been exchanged and, therefore, cannot predict the
sequence... er... so we're back to what David just suggested in that
they would need to be sniffing the traffic (they could reside at either
location, or perhaps be sniffing the traffic en route)...as a matter of
interest does anybody know whether MS stacks have incorporated
protection against ISN prediction?

If your site is protected by a stateful firewall (or even a NAT device
or proxy) then it seems likely that any session will timeout in a
shorter period (dependant upon the settings in the device)

The risk is that you will have:
1. A hole punched through your firewall for the source IP/port + target
IP/port (until the firewall times it out) .....maybe a DOS attack on
your host will be possible 2. An opportunity for someone who has sniffed
the traffic to take over the connection either locally (using the
sequence number) or remotely if they can get through the firewall (maybe
using the original source IP as suggested...but they would either have
to own that address or disable whatever does own it...to prevent a RST)
....could they then potentially masquerade as your messenger friend?
(does yahoo encrypt the communication?)

If the intention is to masquerade as your friend would it be easier to
try to crack his/her password? (I have no idea how difficult that would
be)



-----Original Message-----
From: David Gillett [mailto:gillettdavid () fhda edu] 
Sent: 13 November 2002 17:35
To: incidents () securityfocus com
Subject: RE: Yahoo Messenger Stale Sessions

  Not so arbitrary.  He needs to not only spoof the IP 
address your friend had, but also get the other port number 
and the TCP sequence number right.  Which might not be much
challenge *IF* he was able to sniff your original conversation.
(If he's spoofing rather than assuming the address, he'll need 
to sniff your machine's responses....)

  That much probably limits it to people within either your,
or your friend's, network provider.  Then there's the question
of what to do with this connection.  Is there a vulnerability
in Yahoo Messenger that could be exploited from there?  (If
so, should you be using it at all?)

David Gillett


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Leonard.Ong () nokia com [mailto:Leonard.Ong () nokia com]
> Sent: Tuesday, November 12, 2002 5:39 PM
> To: incidents () securityfocus com
> Subject: RE: Yahoo Messenger Stale Sessions
>
>
> Hello All,
>
> During my observation in daily use of Yahoo Messenger, my 
> computer has "stale/zombie" sessions.  For example, If i have 
> received/message a friend, yahoo will normally make a direct 
> connection from my PC to my friend.  From Netstat result, you 
> can see a high port on my computer is having an Established 
> session with my peer's:5101 port.
>
> The issue is, after a contact has gone offline (dial-up), the 
> state established in the netstat will remain until the next 
> day.  I wouls see this as a vulnerabilities, since an 
> arbitrary user can assume the IP Address was used 
> (dial-up->dynamic ip assignment), and use this established 
> session to assume it.
>
> Any idea ?
>
>
> Regards,
> Leonard Ong
> Network Security Specialist, APAC
> NOKIA
>
> Email.  Leonard.Ong () nokia com
> Mobile. +65 9431 6184
> Phone.  +65 6723 1724
> Fax.    +65 6723 1596
>
>
>
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