Introduction to Information Security - Rootkits

1. Introduction to Information Security - Rootkits Itamargi at post.tau.ac.il Nirkrako at post.tau.ac.il

2. Rootkits • What are they? • Various types of rootkits. • Detection • Famous case

3. What is a rootkit ? • The name rootkit originally came from UNIX/linux set of utilities that was used post gaining root via a privilege escalation (PE) or a remote root exploit. • The goal of the rootkit is to allow a hacker to roam free about the system, while still maintaining root. • The rootkit hides the hacker and allows him to evade detection by the system admin. • Modus operandi: • Hack the system. • Install the system. • Explore the system. • **** the system.

4. What can/should a rootkit do ? • Hide the hackers files – a hacker would usually have a drop-off directory where he will create temporary files (such as zip files) or keep a PE file: • echo “int main{setuid(0);setgid(0);system(“/bin/sh”);} > a.c ; gcca.c –o a ; chmod 4755 a • Eg: all files in /usr/bin/.w00t/ are completely hidden. • Hide the hackers process: • Eg. Any process starting with the words: “w00t” will not be visible. • Hide sniffing: hide working in promiscuous mode. • Hide open ports • Let the hacker back in without using the exploit: • Using the exploit to re-enter usually makes too much noise. • No need to cleanup after re-entry.

5. Application based rootkits • The first rootkits seen in the 90s were replacements for the set of system utilities in /bin/. • For example hackers used a modified version of /bin/ls. • In open-source systems such as linux this is very easy: • Download original code, modify, compile, spread. • In closed-source systems such as windows, older UNIX: • Binary patch the relevant files.

6. Application Layer Dilemmas • If you patch one program, you never know if you covered all your bases. Eg.: • patch ‘ps’ but forget to patch ‘top’ • Patch ‘ls’ but forget to patch ‘mc’ (midnight commander) • Software upgrades, if the software is upgraded

7. Library Rootkits • Patch the system libraries, such as libc, eg.: • readdir • Patching can be done offline to the library or via code injection techniques.

8. Code Injection/API Hooking • The idea is to dynamically patch a program’s behavior. • This is necessary for debuggers to work properly • We load a “shellcode” in the process memory using some technique. • Eg. Windows: • BOOL WriteProcessMemory( HANDLE hProcess, LPVOID lpBaseAddress, LPVOID lpBuffer, DWORD nSize, LPDWORD lpNumberOfBytesWritten ); • Eg. Linux: ptrace with POKETEXT: • PTRACE_POKETEXT, PTRACE_POKEDATA Copies the word data to location addr in the child's memory. As above, the two requests are currently equivalent. • The shellcodecan load a DLL that does some more work. • Subverting functions is done by patching the original code. • Linux: The code segment permissions can be changed via mprotect() • Windows: VirtualProtect(). • Windows has Detours – a library used to Hook APIs

9. Syscall rootkit • Rootkit based in a kernel driver. The rootkit driver is loaded into the operating system, once it is loaded it modifies the system_call table and subverts the original

10. Rootkit detection • Looking at the rootkit from a different perspective • Signature based: • Look for signatures in files and memory know to belong to the rootkit. blacklist based. • This is the technique most anti-viruses use. • Difference based • Difference between view from memory to view on disk. • Offline vs. Online. • Integrity checking of binaries. Compare md5 of files to whitelist. • Eg.: tripwire application for *n?x [Trace buster video]

11. Sony DRM: Famous Rootkit Case • https://blogs.technet.com/b/markrussinovich/archive/2005/10/31/sony-rootkits-and-digital-rights-management-gone-too-far.aspx?Redirected=true