-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Application: Internet Scanner 7 Vendors: Internet Security Systems (www.iss.net) Platforms: Windows Vulnerability: Restriction Bypass Severity: Low-Allows Users to bypass license restrictions Exploitation: Editing .key file Reported to Vendor: 20 April 04 Vulnerability Resolved: 16 June 04 Author: Chris Hurley, Assured Decisions LLC e-mail: churley@assureddecisions.com URL: www.assureddecisions.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Introduction 2) Vulnerability 3) Resolution 4) Acknowledgments ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ =============== 1) Introduction =============== ISS Internet Scanner 7 is a commercial vulnerability scanning assessment tool. Internet Scanner 7 requires that a valid license key be installed on the scanner console in order to initiate scans for IP addresses other than localhost. Legacy (Internet Scanner 6.2.1) users can cut a key using the ISS web ordering system. This key is then placed in the licenses folder. When Internet Scanner 7 is started, it imports licenses from previous versions and converts them to the appropriate .license format for use with Scanner 7. Due to changes in the software, legacy keys that are cut for a certain range are no longer restricted to just that range of IP addresses but can scan any IP address. In order to prevent this, a restricted license can be generated. A restricted key, when converted and registered as a .license file also generates restrictions. These restrictions are placed in the licenses/restrictions folder and allow only the IP Addresses contained in the restrictions file to be scanned. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ================ 2) Vulnerability ================ An authorized Internet Scanner 7 user can modify the .key file to bypass any restrictions associated with the key. Key Contents: The .key file is in the format: - -----BEGIN ISSKEY5---- - -----END ISSKEY5---- Customer: Customer Name Number: Customer Number Expires: Expiration Date Maintenance: Maintenance agreement expiration date Account: Account Number E-Mail: contact email address Created: Date the Key was Created Key Revision: Revision number Features: ISS product key is valid with Allowable IP Addresses Key Range Flag Legend: If restrictions are placed on the key the legend is followed by: - ----BEGIN ISSKEY6---- - -----END ISSKEY6---- A user can modify the original .key file and remove all information starting with - ----BEGIN ISSKEY6---- If the license has already been registered, it should be unregistered, then the new, modified key placed in the licenses folder. When the .license is generated it is then registered with no restrictions. If the license has not been generated, the modified key is placed in the licenses folder. Internet Scanner 7 registers the license with no restrictions. At this point Internet Scanner can be used to scan any IP Address regardless of the restrictions placed on the key when it was cut. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- If restrictions are placed on the key the legend is followed by: - ----BEGIN ISSKEY6---- - -----END ISSKEY6---- A user can modify the original .key file and remove all information starting with - ----BEGIN ISSKEY6---- If the license has already been registered, it should be unregistered, then the new, modified key placed in the licenses folder. When the .license is generated it is then registered with no restrictions. If the license has not been generated, the modified key is placed in the licenses folder. Internet Scanner 7 registers the license with no restrictions. At this point Internet Scanner can be used to scan any IP Address regardless of the restrictions placed on the key when it was cut. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Who is Vulnerable: - ------------------------- Any Internet Scanner user that cuts restricted license keys for Scanner 7. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ =============== 3) Resolution =============== On 16 June 04, Internet Security Systems implemented the following fix to resolve this vulnerability: if "Enable Restriction" is checked AND the product code contains "NSB": only generate a K6 key otherwise generate the K5, K5/K6, or K6 key as usual. =================== 4) Acknowledgments =================== Thanks to Abe Mounce, ISS Technical Support, for his dedication to seeing this issue through to resolution. Chris Hurley Assured Decisions, LLC 410-290-6271 churley@assureddecisions.com -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.3 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFA1EV4+ahhAnkKnqoRAnFCAJ0WHnMzjomyAz5ygZ9ArzZ3dzZB4wCfVox4 0qdYHDnI7WBpMZUuVfG4UpU= =OLu1 -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----