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patch 9.0.2070: [security] disallow setting env in restricted mode
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Problem:  [security] disallow setting env in restricted mode
Solution: Setting environment variables in restricted mode could
          potentially be used to execute shell commands. Disallow this.

restricted mode: disable allow setting of environment variables

Setting environment variables in restricted mode, may have some unwanted
consequences. So, for example by setting $GCONV_PATH in restricted mode
and then calling the iconv() function, one may be able to execute some
unwanted payload, because the `iconv_open()` function internally uses
the `$GCONV_PATH` variable to find its conversion data.

So let's disable setting environment variables, even so this is no
complete protection, since we are not clearing the existing environment.
I tried a few ways but wasn't successful :(

One could also argue to disable the iconv() function completely in
restricted mode, but who knows what other API functions can be
influenced by setting some other unrelated environment variables.
So let's leave it as it is currently.

closes: #13394
See: https://huntr.com/bounties/b0a2eda1-459c-4e36-98e6-0cc7d7faccfe/

Signed-off-by: Christian Brabandt <cb@256bit.org>
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chrisbra committed Oct 26, 2023
1 parent 67ec655 commit 6b89dd6
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Showing 3 changed files with 12 additions and 4 deletions.
8 changes: 4 additions & 4 deletions runtime/doc/starting.txt
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
*starting.txt* For Vim version 9.0. Last change: 2023 Oct 17
*starting.txt* For Vim version 9.0. Last change: 2023 Oct 20


VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -249,10 +249,10 @@ a slash. Thus "-R" means recovery and "-/R" readonly.
*-Z* *restricted-mode* *E145* *E981*
-Z Restricted mode. All commands that make use of an external
shell are disabled. This includes suspending with CTRL-Z,
":sh", filtering, the system() function, backtick expansion
":sh", filtering, the |system()| function, backtick expansion
and libcall().
Also disallowed are delete(), rename(), mkdir(), job_start(),
etc.
Also disallowed are |delete()|, |rename()|, |mkdir()|,
|job_start()|, |setenv()| etc.
Interfaces, such as Python, Ruby and Lua, are also disabled,
since they could be used to execute shell commands. Perl uses
the Safe module.
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6 changes: 6 additions & 0 deletions src/evalfunc.c
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -9723,6 +9723,12 @@ f_setenv(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv UNUSED)
if (in_vim9script() && check_for_string_arg(argvars, 0) == FAIL)
return;

// seting an environment variable may be dangerous, e.g. you could
// setenv GCONV_PATH=/tmp and then have iconv() unexpectedly call
// a shell command using some shared library:
if (check_restricted() || check_secure())
return;

name = tv_get_string_buf(&argvars[0], namebuf);
if (argvars[1].v_type == VAR_SPECIAL
&& argvars[1].vval.v_number == VVAL_NULL)
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2 changes: 2 additions & 0 deletions src/version.c
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -704,6 +704,8 @@ static char *(features[]) =

static int included_patches[] =
{ /* Add new patch number below this line */
/**/
2070,
/**/
2069,
/**/
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