- EXPL-A-2006-004 exploitlabs.com Advisory 049 -
                            - phpFormGenerator -




AFFECTED PRODUCTS
=================
phpFormGenerator < v2.09
http://phpformgen.sourceforge.net/


OVERVIEW
========
phpFormGenerator is an easy-to-use tool to create reliable 
and efficient web forms in a snap. No programming of any 
sort is required. Just follow along the phpFormGenerator 
wizard and at the end, you will have a fully functional web 
form!

note:
as stated by the vendor this script is widely used with cPanel
and other hosting provider solutions.



DETAILS
=======
phpFormGenerator by default installs all directories
as chmod 777 and will not function if they are not set as such.

in the readme:
"3. Set read+write+execute file permissions on the 'forms'
 directory and *everything* inside it 
(including all subdirectories and files)

UNIX:
chmod -R 777 forms"

in process2.php:
"please make sure that the forms directory (and everything in it)
has read+write access. you can achieve this by issuing the following
command on linux/unix:
chmod -R 777 forms"


researcher note:
when the applications directories are not set 777 the app errors with:


"File and Directory permissions 
The forms directory is not writeable.
The forms/admin directory is not writeable.
The use directory is not writeable.
Please give read+write permissions to all the files
 and directories mentioned above. Refresh this page
 after you have done so."
 

SOLUTION
========
vendor contact:
Musawir Ali" musawir@gmail.com June 30, 2006

patch: none ( see vendor response )


VENDOR RESPONSE
===============
"there are no security flaws ... if you had taken a moment to think,
you would realize that a a major software company such as cPanel would
not be shipping phpFormGenerator with their scripts if it had flaws.
In any case, the program has been thoroughly tested by myself and
other security experts and is not known to have any issues.

777 is never forced, the suggested method is to give write permissions
to the group the process belongs to.
upload function is "insecure". arbitrary php functions are insecure...
could you be any more vague? You seem to be one of those ignorant
nuts who shout slogans like "windows sucks" "linux owns" "your server
is insecure" without realizing the garbage spooling out of your mouth.

 you're wasting my time.
btw.. just so that you know, i have been on openbsd's development
team, written the opengl kit for the openbeos OS project (now Haiku),
and am an official GNU maintainer:
http://www.gnu.org/people/people.html (search for my name) ... what
you should be doing is thinking about how contributing to the
opensource community and not being a bitch."



PROOF OF CONCEPT
================
1.browse to the default install directory

2.create new form with the "file upload" function

3.complete the form using "Insert data to MySQL database table? = no"

4.as directed browse to "http://[host]/[appdir]/[newform_name]/form1.html"

5.upload phpshell type of script

6.if you supplied an email address, the link will be sent to you
   http://[host]/[appdir]/[newform_name]/files/thescript_name_generated.php


CREDITS
=======
This vulnerability was discovered and researched by 
Donnie Werner of exploitlabs

Donnie Werner
Information Security Specialist
wood@exploitlabs.com
morning_wood@zone-h.org

-- 
web: http://exploitlabs.com

http://exploitlabs.com/files/advisories/EXPL-A-2006-004-phpformgen.txt