Background:

ARD allows unix commands to be remotely sent from an admin workstation. These commands can be run as root, because the ard administrator can be given sudo access. This exploit involves sending a unix command as root to install a package that was copied to /tmp/. In this case, the app is Adobe CS 2.0 using the adobe silent installation script. The script will mount disk images as root, run the install, then cleanup. If a standard user is logged in, they will see an icon on the dock for the install, but should never see anything besides the icon.

The issue:

The process LoginWindow is owned by the logged in user. If the system is at the login window, then the process LoginWindow is owned by root. If the system is mounting a disk image visible only to root, then the image will try to appear on the desktop. Clicking the mouse will force the desktop to appear, as well as the menus. A user sitting that the system will then see a finder window, and the root users home directory. The login window can be ignored, and the user has full root access. Files can be deleted without authentication, and the trash can be emptied. If a user tries to login, the login window will check their credentials, but they will end up logging in to the root desktop with root privileges.

The workaround:

If you are trying to run a remote install script such as the Adobe Silent installer, use the lock screen feature in ARD. This locks the users desktop until the admin is done doing their thing.

The end result:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/metfoo/246858852/

Adobes script:

#!/bin/sh

#

# Example script to run the Adobe Creative Suite 2 Installer silently.

#

#

# Copyright: 2005 Adobe Systems, Inc.

#

#

function detach_images

{

# umount any previous mounted installer images

for NUMBER in 1 2 3 4

do

MOUNTED_POINT="/Volumes/Adobe Creative Suite Disk ${NUMBER} "

/sbin/mount |/usr/bin/grep "${MOUNTED_POINT}" 2>/dev/null

if [ $? -eq 0 ] ; then

echo "Another \"${MOUNT_POINT}\" already attached."

DEVICE=`/sbin/mount |/usr/bin/grep "${MOUNTED_POINT}" 2>/dev/null |/usr/bin/cut -d" " -f1`

if [ -b "${DEVICE}" ] ; then

/usr/bin/hdiutil detach "${DEVICE}"

echo "Detaching \"${DEVICE}\"..."

fi

fi

done

}

SAVEDIR="`pwd`"

trap 'cd "${SAVEDIR}"' EXIT

if [ $# -ne 2 ] ; then

echo "usage: $0 <image folder> <config filepath>"

exit 1

fi

IMGDIR=$1

CONFIG=$2

# Check OS Version, Minimum is 10.2.8

OSVERSION=`/usr/bin/sw_vers |/usr/bin/grep ProductVersion |/usr/bin/cut -d: -f2`

MAJORVER=`echo ${OSVERSION} | /usr/bin/cut -d . -f2`

MVTEMP=`echo ${OSVERSION} | /usr/bin/cut -d. -f3`

MINORVER=${MVTEMP:-0}

if [ ${MAJORVER} -lt 3 ] ; then

# if less then 10.3

if [ ${MAJORVER} -ne 2 ] ; then

echo "This version of MacOS (${OSVERSION}) is not supported."

exit 1;

else

if [ ${MINORVER} -lt 8 ] ; then

echo "This version of MacOS (${OSVERSION}) is not supported."

exit 1;

fi

fi

HDIUTIL_OPTIONS=

else

# additional hdiutil options for 10.3 or above system

HDIUTIL_OPTIONS="-private -noverify"

fi

# Check root volume is HFS

/sbin/mount -t hfs |/usr/bin/grep " / " 2>/dev/null

if [ $? -ne 0 ] ; then

echo "Root volume is not a HFS volume."

exit 5

fi

# validate the arguments

if [ ! -d "$IMGDIR" ] ; then

echo "$IMGDIR" does not exist.

exit 2

fi

if [ ! -r "$CONFIG" ] ; then

echo "$CONFIG" does not exist.

exit 3

fi

# Check running as root

MYUID=`/usr/bin/id -u`

if [ ${MYUID} -ne 0 ] ; then

echo "You need to be root to run the Adobe Creative Suite 2 Installer."

exit 4

fi

cd "${IMGDIR}"

IMGCOUNT=`/bin/ls -l *.dmg 2>/dev/null | /usr/bin/wc -l`

if [ -z "${IMGCOUNT}" -o "${IMGCOUNT}" = "0" ] ; then

echo "No disk image found in "${IMGDIR}"."

exit 2

fi

#detach any already attached installer images

detach_images

# Mount the disk images for the installer CDs

for DMG in *.dmg

do

# mount the remaining disk images

echo

echo "--- Attaching Installer disk image ${NUMBER}..."

echo /usr/bin/hdiutil attach -verbose -readonly ${HDIUTIL_OPTIONS} "${DMG}"

/usr/bin/hdiutil attach -verbose -readonly ${HDIUTIL_OPTIONS} "${DMG}"

if [ $? -ne 0 ] ; then

echo "Error in attaching installer disk image: \"${DMG}\""

exit 6

fi

done

echo

echo

echo "---- Starting the Adobe Creative Suite Installer..."

echo

"/Volumes/Adobe Creative Suite Disk 1/Adobe Installer.app/Contents/MacOS/Adobe Installer" --batch -c "${CONFIG}"

INSTALLATION_RESULT=$?

echo

#now detach attached installer images

detach_images

exit ${INSTALLATION_RESULT}

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