Build-time code execution via malicious procedural macro
Published Aug 8, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024
Code execution in the better-macro Rust crate allows attackers to execute code when a project invokes its println procedural macro. The better_macro::println expansion tries xdg-open, open, and explorer.exe to launch a hard-coded remote URL before emitting normal println code. Execution requires adding the deliberately deceptive crate as a build dependency and compiling code that calls the macro, granting the crate command execution with the build user's privileges.
Summary
What happened
Code execution in the better-macro Rust crate allows attackers to execute code when a project invokes its println procedural macro. The better_macro::println expansion tries xdg-open, open, and explorer.exe to launch a hard-coded remote URL before emitting normal println code. Execution requires adding the deliberately deceptive crate as a build dependency and compiling code that calls the macro, granting the crate command execution with the build user's privileges.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-38196
- Published
- Aug 8, 2021
- Updated
- Aug 4, 2024
- Vendor
- Unknown vendor
- Product
- Unknown product
- Classifications
- CWE-94, T1195.001
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 8, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Published better_macro::println payloadfunctional · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo