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## https://sploitus.com/exploit?id=PACKETSTORM:174826
Advisory X41-2023-001: Two Vulnerabilities in OPNsense  
===========================================================  
Highest Severity Rating: High  
Confirmed Affected Versions: 23.1.11_1, 23.7.3, 23.7.4  
Confirmed Patched Versions: Commit 484753b2abe3fd0fcdb73d8bf00c3fc3709eb8b7  
Vendor: Deciso B.V. / OPNsense  
Vendor URL: https://opnsense.org  
Credit: X41 D-Sec GmbH, Yasar Klawohn and JM  
Status: Public   
Advisory-URL: https://www.x41-dsec.de/lab/advisories/x41-2023-001-opnsense  
  
  
Summary and Impact  
------------------  
The OPNsense dashboard displays widgets with information about the system,  
running services, gateways and more. These widgets can be arranged in  
different orders and columns. The values for the number of columns and the  
order of widgets are stored server-side and are the same for all users of an  
OPNsense instance. They are reflected unmodified on every visit. This can be  
abused by a low-privileged attacker to inject their own content into the  
page, enabling a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack that can result in  
privilege escalation.  
  
  
Product Description  
-------------------  
OPNsense is an open source, FreeBSD-based firewall and routing operating  
system. It includes many features of commercial firewalls and can be managed  
entirely via its web GUI.  
  
  
Stored XSS in the OPNsense Dashboard via the column_count Parameter  
===================================================================  
Severity Rating: High  
Vector: Network  
CWE: 79  
CVSS Score: 8.0  
CVSS Vector: 3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H  
Credit: X41 D-Sec GmbH, Yasar Klawohn  
  
  
Analysis  
--------  
The number of columns displayed in the dashboard is set via an HTTP POST  
request to /index.php, using the column_count request parameter. This  
parameter is not properly escaped when returned to the client. To exploit  
this issue, the payload "><script>alert(1)</script> is submitted as part of  
the column_count parameter. This input is reflected unmodified in the  
response and on any subsequent visit to the dashboard by any user. Only the  
"Lobby: Login / Logout / Dashboard" permission is required to abuse this  
issue.  
  
Once the server receives the POST request, the column_count parameter is  
written unmodified into the configuration:  
  
} elseif ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'POST' && !empty($_POST['origin'])  
&& $_POST['origin'] == 'dashboard') {  
// ...  
if (!empty($_POST['column_count'])) {  
$config['widgets']['column_count'] = $_POST['column_count'];  
} elseif(isset($config['widgets']['column_count'])) {  
unset($config['widgets']['column_count']);  
}  
write_config('Widget configuration has been changed');  
header(url_safe('Location: /index.php'));  
exit;  
}  
// from:  
// https://github.com/opnsense/core/blob/2306449329e462364c07317b23a1f257779a4fc8/src/www/index.php#L66-L79  
  
If the column_count parameter is not empty, it is used unmodified:   
  
// ...  
if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'GET') {  
$pconfig = $config['widgets'];  
// ...  
$pconfig['column_count'] =  
!empty($pconfig['column_count']) ? $pconfig['column_count'] : 2;  
// ...  
// from:  
// https://github.com/opnsense/core/blob/306449329e462364c07317b23a1f257779a4fc8/src/www/index.php#L42  
  
Below, the unmodified value is written:  
  
<!-- ... -->  
<section class="page-content-main">  
<form method="post" id="iform">  
<input type="hidden" value="dashboard" name="origin" id="origin" />  
<input type="hidden" value="" name="sequence" id="sequence" />  
<input type="hidden" value="<?= $pconfig['column_count'];?>"  
name="column_count" id="column_count_input" />  
</form>  
<!-- ... -->  
<!-- from:  
https://github.com/opnsense/core/blob/306449329e462364c07317b23a1f257779a4fc8/src/www/index.php#L332  
-->  
  
Proof of Concept  
----------------  
Log in as root. On the left side, go to System -> Access -> Users, and add a  
new user. For "Effective Privileges", only select "Lobby: Login / Logout /  
Dashboard". The user is now only able to view the dashboard and the help  
pages.  
  
Log in as that newly created user and open your browser's network monitor.  
In the OPNsense dashboard, select "1 column" from the top right and then  
press "save settings". Repeat the POST request and replace the column_count  
variable with  
  
column_count=1"><script>alert(1)</script>  
  
Now, log in as admin again, you should see an alert box resulting from the  
following HTML response:  
  
<form method="post" id="iform">  
<!-- .. -->  
<input type="hidden" value="1">  
<script>alert(1)</script>"  
name="column_count" id="column_count_input" />  
</form>  
  
This is the stored XSS and can result in privilege escalation. The OPNsense  
developers did apply a Content-Security-Policy, but unfortunately allow  
unsafe-inline and unsafe-eval for scripts, which does not prevent the  
exploitation of this vulnerability.  
  
  
Stored XSS in the OPNsense Dashboard via the sequence Parameter  
===============================================================  
Severity Rating: High   
Vector: Network  
CWE: 79  
CVSS Score: 8.0  
CVSS Vector: 3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H  
Credit: X41 D-Sec GmbH, JM and Yasar Klawohn  
  
  
Analysis  
--------  
The order in which the widgets are displayed in the Dashboard is set via an  
HTTP POST request to /index.php, using the sequence request parameter. This  
parameter is not properly escaped when returned to the client. To exploit  
this issue, the payload "><script>alert(1)</script> is submitted as part of  
the sequence parameter. This input is reflected unmodified in the response  
and on any subsequent visit to the dashboard by any user. Only the "Lobby:  
Login / Logout / Dashboard" permission is required to abuse this issue.  
  
The order in which widgets are displayed on the dashboard can be set in the  
same POST request, via the sequence parameter. The sequence parameter has the  
following format:  
  
sequence=services_status-container:00000000-col3:show,  
interface_list-container:00000001-col4:show,  
gateways-container:00000002-col4:show  
  
Once the server receives the POST request, the sequence parameter is written  
unmodified into the configuration:  
  
} elseif ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'POST' && !empty($_POST['origin'])  
&& $_POST['origin'] == 'dashboard') {  
if (!empty($_POST['sequence'])) {  
$config['widgets']['sequence'] = $_POST['sequence'];  
} elseif (isset($config['widgets']['sequence'])) {  
unset($config['widgets']['sequence']);  
}  
// ...  
write_config('Widget configuration has been changed');  
header(url_safe('Location: /index.php'));  
exit;  
}  
// from:  
// https://github.com/opnsense/core/blob/cbaf7cee1f0a6fabd1ec4c752a5d169c402976dc/src/www/index.php#L66-L80  
  
When serving a GET request, the sequence parameter is returned unmodified,  
starting with a read of its value from the configuration:  
  
// ...  
$pconfig = $config['widgets'];  
// set default dashboard view  
$pconfig['sequence'] = !empty($pconfig['sequence']) ?  
$pconfig['sequence'] : '';  
// ...  
// from:  
// https://github.com/opnsense/core/blob/2306449329e462364c07317b23a1f257779a4fc8/src/www/index.php#L39-L41  
  
sequence is then split by comma and further split by colon into name,  
sortKey, and state. The list of widgets is sorted on the server side using  
the sortKey.  
  
$widgetSeqParts = explode(",", $pconfig['sequence']);  
foreach (glob('/usr/local/www/widgets/widgets/*.widget.php') as $php_file) {  
$widgetItem = array();  
// [...]  
foreach ($widgetSeqParts as $seqPart) {  
$tmp = explode(':', $seqPart);  
if (count($tmp) == 3 &&  
explode('-', $tmp[0])[0] == $widgetItem['name']  
) {  
$widgetItem['state'] = $tmp[2];  
$widgetItem['sortKey'] = $tmp[1];  
}  
}  
$widgetCollection[] = $widgetItem;  
}  
// sort widgets  
usort($widgetCollection, function ($item1, $item2) {  
return strcmp(strtolower($item1['sortKey']),  
strtolower($item2['sortKey']));  
});  
// from:  
// https://github.com/opnsense/core/blob/2306449329e462364c07317b23a1f257779a4fc8/src/www/index.php#L44-L65  
  
Finally, the sortKey is written unescaped into an HTML attribute:  
  
<section  
class="widgetdiv"  
data-sortkey="<?=$widgetItem['sortKey'] ?>"  
id="<?=$widgetItem['name'];?>"  
style="display:<?=$divdisplay;?>;"  
<!-- from:  
https://github.com/opnsense/core/blob/2306449329e462364c07317b23a1f257779a4fc8/src/www/index.php#L374  
-->  
  
  
Proof of Concept  
----------------  
Log in as root. On the left side, go to System -> Access -> Users, and add a  
new user. For "Effective Privileges", only select "Lobby: Login / Logout /  
Dashboard". The user is now only able to view the dashboard and the help  
pages.  
  
Log in as that newly created user and open your browser's network monitor. In  
the OPNsense dashboard, reorder the widgets via drag-and-drop, then press  
"save settings".  
  
Repeat the POST request and replace the sequence variable with  
  
sequence=gateways-container:1"><script>alert(1)</script>-col4:show  
  
Now, log in as admin again, you should see an alert box resulting from the  
following HTML response:  
  
<div class="container-fluid">  
<!-- ... -->  
<section class="widgetdiv" data-sortkey="1">  
<script>alert(2)</script>  
-col4" id="gateways" style="display:block;">  
  
This is the stored XSS and can result in privilege escalation.  
  
The OPNsense developers did apply a Content-Security-Policy, but  
unfortunately allow unsafe-inline and unsafe-eval for scripts, which does not  
prevent the exploitation of this vulnerability.  
  
  
Workarounds  
===========  
  
Remove all effective privileges for /index.php* of low-privilege users.  
  
Timeline  
========  
2023-09-13: Problem discovered  
  
2023-09-14: Write-up and discovery of second finding  
  
2023-09-19: Disclosure to Deciso B.V. / OPNsense  
  
2023-09-19: Issue fixed upstream by Deciso B.V. / OPNsense  
  
2023-09-20: CVE requested  
  
2023-09-20: Informed Deciso B.V. / OPNsense that we will make the issues  
public the following day, since the patch is public  
  
2023-09-21: Release of advisory  
  
  
About X41 D-Sec GmbH  
====================  
X41 is an expert provider for application security services.  
Having extensive industry experience and expertise in the area of information  
security, a strong core security team of world class security experts enables  
X41 to perform premium security services.  
  
Fields of expertise in the area of application security are security centered  
code reviews, binary reverse engineering and vulnerability discovery.  
Custom research and IT security consulting and support services are core  
competencies of X41.