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Zero Day

Ryan Naraine, Emil Protalinski and Dancho Danchev

Open-source ProFTPD hacked, backdoor planted in source code

By | December 3, 2010, 1:46am PST

Summary: The open-source ProFTPD project has been hacked by unknown attackers who planted a backdoor in the source code.

The open-source ProFTPD project has been hacked by unknown attackers who planted a backdoor in the source code.

As a result of the hack, the project’s main FTP server, as well as all of the mirror servers, have carried compromised versions of the ProFTPD1.3.3c source code, from the November 28 2010 to December 2 2010.

ProFTPD, which positions itself as a secure FTP server for Linux and Unix based operating system, urged all users who run versions of ProFTPD which were downloaded and compiled in this time window to check their systems for security compromises and install unmodified versions of ProFTPD.

Here’s the skinny on the attack:follow Ryan Naraine on twitter

On Sunday, the 28th of November 2010 around 20:00 UTC the main distribution server of the ProFTPD project was compromised. The attackers most likely used an unpatched security issue in the FTP daemon to gain access to the server and used their privileges to replace the source files for ProFTPD 1.3.3c with a version which contained a backdoor.

The fact that the server acted as the main FTP site for the ProFTPD project (ftp.proftpd.org) as well as the rsync distribution server (rsync.proftpd.org) for all ProFTPD mirror servers means that anyone who downloaded ProFTPD 1.3.3c from one of the official mirrors from 2010-11-28 to 2010-12-02 will most likely be affected by the problem.

ProFTPD said the backdoor introduced by the attackers allows unauthenticated users remote root access to systems which run the maliciously modified version of the ProFTPD daemon.

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Topics

Ryan Naraine is a journalist and social media enthusiast specializing in Internet and computer security issues.

Disclosure

Ryan Naraine

The most important disclosure is of my employment with Kaspersky Lab as a member of the global research and analysis team. Kaspersky Lab is a global company specializing in anti-malware and secure content management technologies. I do not own stocks or other investments in any technology company.

Biography

Ryan Naraine

Ryan Naraine is a journalist and social media enthusiast specializing in Internet and computer security issues. He is currently security evangelist at Kaspersky Lab, an anti-malware company with operations around the globe. He is taking a leadership role in developing the company's online community initiative around secure content management technologies.

Prior to joining Kaspersky Lab, Ryan was Editor-at-Large/Security at eWEEK, leading the magazine's and Web site's coverage of Internet and computer security issues and managing the popular SecurityWatch blog, covering the daily threats, vulnerabilities and IT security technologies. He also covered IT security, hacker attacks and secure content management topics for Jupiter Media's internetnetnews.com.

Ryan can be reached at naraine SHIFT 2 gmail.com. For daily updates on Ryan's activities, follow him on Twitter.

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RE: Open-source ProFTPD hacked, backdoor planted in source code
aqua08 13th Oct
Second, purchases long-term Treasury securities also fork over a matching amount of shorter-term super watches Treasury securities string allied a routine that assets besides the Fed???s report sheet would not buy for fictitious Iwc Watches Sales UK
0 Votes
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Back door, come on in!
Dietrich T. Schmitz, ~ Your Linux Advocate Updated - 3rd Dec 2010
Poorly managed code repository is unacceptable.
I use vsftpd--the best.
@Dietrich T. Schmitz - just hope nobody manages to slip backdoors into vsftpd then.

And it makes you wonder ... if they managed to slip backdoors into a (relatively) moderate-sized codebase, I wonder how many other backdoors have been slipped into more substantial (or poorly managed) open-source projeccts.
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Not possible with gpg protected key ring
Dietrich T. Schmitz, ~ Your Linux Advocate 3rd Dec 2010
@bitcrazed
nt
0 Votes
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@Dietrich T. Schmitz, Your Linux Advocate

yes, it is possible. the keyring doesn't prevent an attacker who successfully breaks into the hosting server from injecting malicious code. it may make it more difficult, but don't delude yourself into believing that it is impossible.

*EVERYTHING* can be breached, no matter how secure we believe it to be.

this is why fast full disclosure of vulnerabilities and compromises is so very important. imagine the security nightmare users of this product would have had if the ProFTPD staff had quietly covered this up and hidden the breach?

on the flip side, it looks like within a window of 5 days, the ProFTPD team has removed the modified sources, reported the breach, and i believe patched the vulnerability that allowed the breach in the first place. there are other vendors who sometimes won't even acknowledge a vulnerability exists that quickly after proof of exploits in the wild, let alone announce or patch the vulnerability...
@Dietrich T. Schmitz, Your Linux Advocate
Which just goes to show that linux and its repositories can't be trusted.
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At it again Alan?
Dietrich T. Schmitz, ~ Your Linux Advocate 3rd Dec 2010
@Loverock Davidson
Utter nonsense per usual.
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LOL
daikon 3rd Dec 2010
@Loverock Davidson
For a guy that runs Debian servers.
0 Votes
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The source code in CVS was not affected.
mintalaska Updated - 6th Dec 2010
@Loverock Davidson Troll Troll.. hmm should be some Xmas music for you! Jack #@$! About 5 days and Done Hmm. Try to tell some one that cares about your Fud!
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Second, purchases long-term Treasury securities also fork over a matching amount of shorter-term super watches Treasury securities string allied a routine that assets besides the Fed???s report sheet would not buy for fictitious Iwc Watches Sales UK
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Tragic but predictable
jackbond 3rd Dec 2010
Open source has claimed another victim. Ruth-Kelly Fizzwizzle was murdered on Saturday a few days after she installed ProFTPD. Open source, widely known to be the software of choice of violent serial killers, allows these predators to find their victims via backdoors covertly inserted. Sheriff Roscoe Coltrane implored the residents of his small community to not repeat the mistake made by Mrs. Fizzwizzle and to buy their software. He stated in a press conference on Wednesday, "It's just not worth the risk and in the long run, the software costs just as much due to increased administrative costs." Mrs. Fizzwizzle is survived by her son who has recently replaced his file system. "I read about Mr. Reiser yesterday, and I just can't believe how lucky I am to still be alive."
@jackbond Thank you. I enjoyed that.
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RE: Tragic, but predictable
fatman65535 3rd Dec 2010
@jackbond

This comment is quite interesting:

`Sheriff Roscoe Coltrane implored the residents of his small community to not repeat the mistake made by Mrs. Fizzwizzle and to buy their software. `

you forgot to include `as Sheriff Coltrane was handed a "campaign contribution" from the local MS rep`.
@fatman65535

Wow are you people stupid.
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Wow.
SonofaSailor 14th Dec 2010
@jackbond

you do get points for originality
Backdoors everywhere. Seems like you can't avoid them anymore...Windows, Linux. Same. They're averywhere and watching you.
Think you're safe ? Think twice.
@neeeko

... i'll guarantee there's no back door in my coffee cup... that's about it wink
@erik.soderquist

No backdoor in your coffee cup, yet!!!

After a while they will develop!

First you will see cracks appearing in the internal security layer, leading to eventual breakdown of the outer firewall.
@richardw66

LOL happy
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You folks need to read this post again
Dietrich T. Schmitz, ~ Your Linux Advocate 3rd Dec 2010
If a vendor has a server breach which stores source code that runs on linux, that isn't a linux issue.

That is a server security issue that the vendor has not provided details for.

Try waiting until you have hard facts to report Ryan.
@Dietrich T. Schmitz, Your Linux Advocate

Yes, this is not a linux issue.

Unfortunately it is an open-source issue.

Unfortunately, replacing open-source with MS code will not make you more secure.

People should be told about this in case they need to update their install.

Open-source projects should also learn from this. Maybe someone will develop technology or methodologies to avoid this kind of breach?
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There won't be anything to learn until we have hard facts
Dietrich T. Schmitz, ~ Your Linux Advocate 4th Dec 2010
@richardw66
Security is a process.
The command enabling the backdoor was:
HELP ACIDBITCHEZ

just in-case anyone was wondering.... So much for a zero-day blog. I had to scroll down 5 pages of text to see that the actual command, wasn't listed anywhere

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