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Re: Re: HTML Help API - Privilege Escalation


From: KF <dotslash () snosoft com>
Date: Sat, 25 Oct 2003 06:42:32 -0400

Sebastian Niehaus wrote:

KF <dotslash () snosoft com> writes:

[...]

I would relate this
type of attack to a setuid program calling system("clear") while
running as root on a unix machine. This does not mean that system() is
flawed rather that when implementing this call you need to be more
careful and drop your privs.

Well, if you have a programm to be run in suid mode, every Unix admin
should be alerted. They are used to review the source code of this
kind of stuff.
By the same token on a win32 machine when I hit ctrl alt del ... anything that says SYSTEM on it I usually take a quick peak at. There are plenty of win32 programs that run in a privleged mode. Rewording what you said .. every Winblows admin should be alert orfSYSTEM level applications (be it a service or a desktop application).

You won't be able to do this with your average windows junk...
Well there are not setuid applications in win32 but as I mentioned above there are apps that run with elevated priv levels. Heck look at shatter type attacks... In the win32 world thats about as close to a local attack (on unix) against a setuid binary.

-KF



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