The Research Blog

Windows Phone 8 Application Security Whitepaper Syscan 2014

A whitepaper on Windows Phone 8 application security was presented at Syscan 2014. The research identified common developer mistakes that introduce security vulnerabilities in Windows Phone 8 applications. The whitepaper provides guidance on detecting and mitigating specific application security weaknesses in the platform.

Laravel cookie forgery, decryption, and RCE

A critical vulnerability in Laravel's encryption API allowed attackers to forge session cookies and impersonate users. The flaw enabled potential remote code execution by exploiting weaknesses in MAC verification, IV handling, and PHP object deserialization. Attackers could manipulate cookies to authenticate as any user and potentially inject malicious code through serialized PHP objects.

WordPress auth cookie forgery

A vulnerability in WordPress's authentication cookie validation allows potential cookie forgery through PHP type juggling. The flaw enables attackers to bypass authentication by exploiting non-strict comparison methods in the cookie verification code. Two attack vectors were identified: MAC verification bypass and potential timing attacks to determine expected MAC values.

  • 8 Apr 2014

HackFu Challenge 2014

HackFu 2014 is a prestigious hacking event offering 10 invitations to cybersecurity professionals. The challenge involves solving puzzles and tracking down an enemy agent named Ilichy. Participants can win entry to a multi-day hacking competition in the UK, with potential prizes including event admission, accommodation, and travel support.

  • 20 Dec 2013

Google AdMob Ad Library - Arbitrary Intent Activity Invocation

A vulnerability was discovered in the Google AdMob SDK for Android that allows attackers to manipulate Intent Activities by injecting JavaScript into a WebView. The vulnerability enables arbitrary activity invocation by controlling multiple parameters passed to the 'startActivity' method. Potential remote exploitation can occur by targeting exposed activities in other Android applications.

Hack the Gibson - Deepsec Edition

A presentation at Deepsec 2013 explored security vulnerabilities in supercomputer technologies. John Fitzpatrick and Luke Jennings from MWR discussed potential attacks against common supercomputer systems. The presentation slides are available for download, providing insights into supercomputer security challenges.

  • 20 Dec 2013

HackFu 2013: The Movie

A teaser video for HackFu 2013 was released, presenting a puzzle for viewers to solve without hacking or brute force methods. The video hints at the upcoming HackFu 2014 event scheduled for June 26-28, 2014. Participants are challenged to solve the puzzle while allowing others the opportunity to do so independently.

  • 20 Dec 2013

PontiFlex Ad Library - Remote JavaScript Command Execution

A critical vulnerability was discovered in the PontiFlex ad library for Android that enables remote JavaScript command execution. The flaw allows attackers to download and execute arbitrary code, perform directory traversal, and potentially steal files from mobile applications through manipulated WebView JavaScript interfaces. The vulnerability impacts Android apps using the PontiFlex ad library, potentially exposing millions of users to remote code execution risks.

  • 29 Nov 2013

Advanced Persistent Timelords

A thought experiment explores cybersecurity challenges if attackers could manipulate time. The analysis examines potential vulnerabilities in physical access, document security, personnel management, and digital systems under a hypothetical temporal manipulation scenario. The exploration demonstrates how traditional security controls would break down if an attacker could jump to different points in time or pause time itself.

  • 29 Nov 2013

Debug All the Android Things

This blog post describes a technique for enabling debugging on Android applications using Cydia Substrate. The method involves hooking the Android process startup method to force debugging flags, allowing developers to use jdb to interact with and manipulate running Android applications, even for apps not marked as debuggable in their manifest.

  • 27 Nov 2013

Millenial Media Ad Library

A critical vulnerability was discovered in the Millenial Media SDK across mobile platforms. The SDK's WebView implementation allows attackers to perform dangerous actions like file manipulation, clipboard access, audio recording, and cross-application exploitation through malicious JavaScript injection. These security flaws could enable comprehensive mobile device compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive user information.

  • 20 Nov 2013

AppLovin Ad Library SDK: Remote Command Execution via Update Mechanism

A critical vulnerability was discovered in the AppLovin Ad Library SDK for Android that enables remote command execution through an insecure update mechanism. The vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious code into applications by exploiting the SDK's dynamic class loading process during updates. An attacker can craft a malicious SDK update that gets automatically downloaded and executed when an application starts.