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CERT Advisory CA-2000-15 Netscape Allows Java Applets to Read Protected
Resources

   Original release date: August 10, 2000
   Source: CERT/CC
   
   A complete revision history is at the end of this file.
   
Systems Affected

     * Systems running Netscape Communicator version 4.04 through 4.74
       with Java enabled. Netscape 6 is unaffected by this problem.
       
Overview

   Netscape Communicator and Navigator ship with Java classes that allow
   an unsigned Java applet to access local and remote resources in
   violation of the security policies for applets.
   
I. Description

   Failures in the netscape.net package permit a Java applet to read
   files from the local file system by opening a connection to a URL
   using the "file" protocol. For example, by opening a connection to
   "file:///C:/somefile.txt" an intruder can read the contents of that
   file.
   
   Additionally, it is possible to use this technique to open connections
   to resources using other types of protocols; that is, it is possible
   to open a connection to "http," "https," "ftp," and other types of
   URLs using this vulnerability.
   
   By then using ordinary techniques, a malicious Java applet that
   exploits this vulnerability could subsequently send the contents of
   the file (or other resource) to the web server from which the applet
   originated.
   
   An exploit using this technique causes the victim to establish a
   connection to the malicious web server (as opposed to the intruder
   establishing a connection to the victim). Thus typical firewall
   configurations fail to stop an attack of this type.
   
   A tool written by Dan Brumleve dubbed "Brown Orifice" demonstrates
   this vulnerability. Brown Orifice implements an HTTP server (web
   server) as a Java applet and listens for connections to the victim's
   machine. In conjunction with the Netscape vulnerability, Brown Orifice
   essentially turns a web browser into a web server and allows any
   machine on the Internet to browse the victim's local file system.
   Typical firewall configurations stop this type of attack, but as noted
   above, they do not stop simple variations of this attack.
   
   This vulnerability is the result of an implementation error in the JRE
   that comes with the Netscape brower, not an architectural problem in
   the Java security model.
   
   This problem has been widely discussed in various forums on the
   Internet. More information is available at
   
   http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/1546
          http://www.nipc.gov/warnings/assessments/2000/assess00-052.htm
          http://xforce.iss.net/alerts/advise58.php
          http://www.brumleve.com/BrownOrifice (Note that this site
          contains a demonstration of the vulnerability which could
          expose your files to intruders.)
          
   As of the writing of this document, we have not received any reports
   indicating exploitation of this vulnerability outside of the context
   of obtaining it from the Brown Orifice web site. Note that running
   Brown Orifice allows anyone, not just the administrators of the Brown
   Orifice web site, to read files on your system. The Brown Orifice web
   site publishes the IP address of systems running Brown Orifice, and we
   have received reports of third parties attempting to read files from a
   system identified on the Brown Orifice web site. Furthermore, if you
   have extended any file-reading privileges to anyone who has run Brown
   Orifice, your files can be read by anyone on the Internet (subject to
   controls imposed by your router and firewall.)
   
II. Impact

   Intruders who can entice you into running a malicious Java applet can
   read any file that you can read on your local or network file system.
   Additionally, the contents of URLs located behind a firewall can be
   exposed.
   
III. Solution

   Organizations should weigh the risks presented by this vulnerability
   against their need to run Java applets. At the present time, an
   effective solution is to disable Java in Netscape. Historically,
   vulnerabilities of this type have not been widely exploited; however
   this is not an indication that they can't be, or that targeted attacks
   are not effective and possible.
   
   For organizations that have a need to run Java applets under their own
   control (that is, in situations where the HTML page referencing the
   applet is under their control), an alternate solution is to install a
   Java Runtime Environment Plugin available from Sun Microsystems. More
   information and pointers to downloadable software is available at
   
   http://java.sun.com/products/plugin/index.html
          
   To use this plugin effectively requires the use of a tool to convert
   HTML pages to use a different tag. Information about Sun's HTML
   Converter Software is also available on this page. This tool will
   rewrite HTML pages so that applets referenced in the page will run in
   the JRE provided by the plugin.
   
   To achieve protection from the resource reading vulnerability using
   this tool requires you to disable Java in the Netscape browser. The
   HTML Converter software will modify HTML pages to use an <EMBED> tag
   instead of an <APPLET>. The JRE plugin software recognizes the <EMBED>
   tag, and applets will then run within the new JRE plugin, instead of
   the default JRE provided by Netscape.
   
   Appendix A contains information provided by vendors for this advisory.
   We will update the appendix as we receive more information. If you do
   not see your vendor's name, the CERT/CC did not hear from that vendor.
   Please contact your vendor directly.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Appendix A. Vendor Information

AOL Corporate Communications

   Netscape takes all security issues very seriously, and we are working
   to quickly evaluate and address this concern. If the reports are
   accurate, we plan to make a patch available, but in the interim, users
   can protect themselves by simply turning off Java.
   
   Users can also visit http://www.netscape.com/security to get the
   mostup to date information on a patch, and its availability.
   
Sun Microsystems and Netscape

   Sun is working with Netscape to deliver a new version of Navigator and
   Communicator that will fix this problem.
   
Microsoft

   Brown Orifice does not exploit any vulnerabilities in Microsoft
   Products.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   The CERT Coordination Center thanks Elias Levy, CTO of
   SecurityFocus.com, and Sun Microsystems and AOL/Netscape for their
   input and assistance in the construction of this advisory.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   Author: Shawn Hernan
   ______________________________________________________________________
   
   This document is available from:
   http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-2000-15.html
   ______________________________________________________________________
   
CERT/CC Contact Information

   Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
          Phone: +1 412-268-7090 (24-hour hotline)
          Fax: +1 412-268-6989
          Postal address:
          CERT Coordination Center
          Software Engineering Institute
          Carnegie Mellon University
          Pittsburgh PA 15213-3890
          U.S.A.
          
   CERT personnel answer the hotline 08:00-20:00 EST(GMT-5) / EDT(GMT-4)
   Monday through Friday; they are on call for emergencies during other
   hours, on U.S. holidays, and on weekends.
   
Using encryption

   We strongly urge you to encrypt sensitive information sent by email.
   Our public PGP key is available from
   
   http://www.cert.org/CERT_PGP.key
       
   If you prefer to use DES, please call the CERT hotline for more
   information.
   
Getting security information

   CERT publications and other security information are available from
   our web site
   
   http://www.cert.org/
       
   To be added to our mailing list for advisories and bulletins, send
   email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and include SUBSCRIBE
   your-email-address in the subject of your message.
   
   * "CERT" and "CERT Coordination Center" are registered in the U.S.
   Patent and Trademark Office.
   ______________________________________________________________________
   
   NO WARRANTY
   Any material furnished by Carnegie Mellon University and the Software
   Engineering Institute is furnished on an "as is" basis. Carnegie
   Mellon University makes no warranties of any kind, either expressed or
   implied as to any matter including, but not limited to, warranty of
   fitness for a particular purpose or merchantability, exclusivity or
   results obtained from use of the material. Carnegie Mellon University
   does not make any warranty of any kind with respect to freedom from
   patent, trademark, or copyright infringement.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   Conditions for use, disclaimers, and sponsorship information
   
   Copyright 2000 Carnegie Mellon University
   
   Revision History

August 10, 2000:  Initial release

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