#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
# Exploit Title: AppXSvc - Arbitrary File Security Descriptor Overwrite (EoP) #
# Date: Sep 4 2019 #
# Exploit Author: Gabor Seljan #
# Vendor Homepage: https://www.microsoft.com/ #
# Version: 17763.1.amd64fre.rs5_release.180914-1434 #
# Tested on: Windows 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems #
# CVE: CVE-2019-1253 #
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
Summary:
AppXSvc improperly handles file hard links resulting in a low privileged user
being able to take 'Full Control' of an arbitrary file leading to elevation of
privilege.
Description:
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the AppX Deployment Server
(AppXSvc) improperly handles file hard links. While researching CVE-2019-0841
originally reported by Nabeel Ahmed, I have found that AppXSvc sometimes opens
the settings.dat[.LOGx] files of Microsoft Edge for a restore operation that
modifies the security descriptor of the files. Further analyzis revealed that
the restore operation can be triggered on demand by preventing AppXSvc from
accessing the settings.dat[.LOGx] files. This can be achieved by locking the
settings.dat[.LOGx] file, resulting in 'Access Denied' and 'Sharing Violation'
errors when Edge and AppXSvc are trying to access it. Eventually the restore
operation kicks in and if the settings.dat[.LOGx] file has been replaced with
a hard link AppXSvc will overwrite the security descriptor of the target file.
A low privileged user can leverage this vulnerability to take 'Full Control'
of an arbitrary file.
Steps to reproduce:
1. Terminate Edge.
2. Create a hard link from settings.dat.LOG2 to C:\Windows\win.ini.
3. Open the hard link for reading and lock the file.
4. Start Edge and wait a few seconds for the restore operation to kick in.
5. Unlock the file and close the file handle.
Expected result:
Full access (GENERIC_ALL) to C:\Windows\win.ini is denied.
Observed result:
C:\Windows\win.ini has had it's security descriptor rewritten to grant
'Full Control' to the low privileged user.
PoC files:
https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb-bin-sploits/-/raw/main/bin-sploits/47389.zip
References:
https://github.com/sgabe/CVE-2019-1253
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2019-1253
https://krbtgt.pw/dacl-permissions-overwrite-privilege-escalation-cve-2019-0841
