CVE-2024-6154 - Parallels Desktop Toolgate Heap-based Buffer Overflow Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability Exploit Details and Analysis

A recently discovered vulnerability in Parallels Desktop, identified as CVE-2024-6154, allows local attackers to leverage a heap-based buffer overflow to escalate their privileges on affected installations. To take advantage of this vulnerability, the attacker must first gain the ability to execute high-privileged code on the target guest system. This blog post will provide an in-depth analysis of this vulnerability, including details on how it can be exploited, a code snippet, and relevant references.

The Vulnerability

The vulnerability specifically lies within the Toolgate component of Parallels Desktop. The flaw stems from the lack of proper validation of the length of user-supplied data before copying it to a fixed-length heap-based buffer. This omission creates an opportunity for attackers to exploit the vulnerability to escalate their privileges and subsequently execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user on the host system.

Exploit Details

To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must first gain the ability to execute high-privileged code on the target guest system. This can be achieved through various methods, including social engineering tactics, spear-phishing emails, or by exploiting another vulnerability.

Once the attacker has the required access, they would then need to craft a malicious payload that takes advantage of the overflow in the Toolgate component. The payload would be designed to write arbitrary code to the fixed-length heap-based buffer, ultimately allowing the attacker to escalate their privileges.

Here is a code snippet to illustrate the vulnerability

// Example of vulnerable code in Toolgate component

void process_user_data(char *user_supplied_data) {
    char fixed_length_buffer[256];
    
    // No proper validation of user-supplied data length
    strcpy(fixed_length_buffer, user_supplied_data);
    
    // The rest of the code...
}

To craft a successful exploit, the attacker would need to supply data that is longer than 256 bytes, which would overwrite the buffer and potentially execute malicious code.

Mitigation

Parallels has released a patch to address this vulnerability. Users are advised to update their Parallels Desktop installations to the latest version to protect themselves from potential attacks. Additionally, always practice caution while executing code from untrusted sources and keep your operating system and applications up to date with the latest security patches.

References

1. CVE Information: CVE-2024-6154
2. Original Advisory: ZDI-CAN-20450
3. Parallels Desktop: Official Website
4. Patch Information: Parallels Desktop Update

Conclusion

CVE-2024-6154, the heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Parallels Desktop's Toolgate component, poses a serious risk to users of the software. By exploiting this vulnerability, attackers can escalate their privileges and execute arbitrary code on the host system. Users must urgently update their Parallels Desktop installations to the latest version and employ safe online practices to reduce the likelihood of attacks.

Timeline

Published on: 06/20/2024 20:15:21 UTC
Last modified on: 06/21/2024 11:22:01 UTC