Bugtraq mailing list archives

Some serious security holes in 'The Bat!'


From: Bipin Gautam hUNT3R <door_hunt3r () blackcodemail com>
Date: 25 Oct 2003 19:00:12 -0000



'The Bat!' [http://www.ritlabs.com/] is a powerful, highly configurable, MULTI-USER, yet easy to use email client.

I have discoverd some serious security holes in 'The Bat!'

mmm..., when a new account is created in 'The Bat!' It creates the account in %programfiledir%\The Bat!\MAIL\ without 
implimenting any proper ACL! so even a guest USER IS ABLE TO READ! THE "MESSAGES.TBB" "MESSAGES.TBI" of both 'INBOX' 
AND 'OUTBOX' by just creating a new account [in a local or remote PC] and putting the files in the NEW USERS 'inbox' 
and 'outbox' and using ! The Bat! itself to READ THE FILE/email's.


More sevier, "MESSAGES.TBB" and "MESSAGES.TBI" are stored in PLAIN TEXT!!!

Even worst! The Bat! stores the password in Account.cfg of the users directory... [say... %programfiledir%\The 
Bat!\MAIL\NEW_USER\] If there is another user have equal right's! he could just delete the account.cfg and READ another 
USER'S PASSWORD PROTECTED EMAIL WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM's!!!/RESTRICTION!!!

---------------------
FUNNY
---------------------
I copied the ACCOUNT.CFG file from the %programfiledir%\The Bat!\MAIL\ADMINISTRATOR\

I WAS ABLE TO inject the encrypted password of mine [simply, using a hex editor] into the ACCOUNT.CFG of 
\ADMINISTRATOR\ by copying it to a new directory and then making few email adjustments etc... i was completely able to, 
not only HIJACK "MESSAGES.TBB" and "MESSAGES.TBI"
of the admin. account but also TAKING CONTROL/ACCESSING/USE ACCOUNT.CFG of the ADMINistrator form a guest account.

------------------------------------------------
 Some possible solution, until update's are relesed!
------------------------------------------------
Creating the new user account in %userprofile% [when possible] insted of %programfiledir%\The Bat!\MAIL\ or changing 
path of The Bat! folder to %userprofile% so that ACL's of NTFS will handle the rest!

[After you create a new account [folder] in %userprofile% you could then simply copy all of your goodees from 
%programfiledir%\The Bat!\MAIL\YOUR_ACCOUNT-FILE to %userprofile%\YOUR_ACCOUNT-FILE \

Checking proper ACL! manually, or implimenting proper rules by using a 3'rd party software so that it's hard to SPY 
INTO "MESSAGES.TBB" and "MESSAGES.TBI" by unauthorised USER!

--------------------------------
Shouldn't the developer's....
--------------------------------
Store the encrypted password in the headers of "MESSAGES.TBB" and "MESSAGES.TBI" insted of seperate file!!! so that 
'The Bat!' can effectively check if the file is password protected or not before it opens the content!
Encrypting the content's of "MESSAGES.TBB" and "MESSAGES.TBI" [and other cfg files...] insted of putting it all in a 
plain text!!!

I don't think the developrs wanna see a worm that grep's all the @ [heee... email account's] from "MESSAGES.TBB" and 
"MESSAGES.TBI" files AND PLAY THRASH.....

--[Background Information]--
This bug was originally discovered by hUNT3R, a member of 01 Security Sumbission. The vendor was notified via email.
http://www.ysgnet.com/hn




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