Server hacked on known port


 
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# 1  
Old 02-04-2019
Server hacked on known port

Hi,

There is a recent case whereby it was reported that one of the production servers was hacked on port 1521. However, I am not sure how this was possible, as I checked that the OS firewall (iptables) is on :

Code:
[root@fmsproddb satellite]# /etc/init.d/iptables status
Table: nat
Chain PREROUTING (policy ACCEPT)
num  target     prot opt source               destination

Chain POSTROUTING (policy ACCEPT)
num  target     prot opt source               destination

Chain OUTPUT (policy ACCEPT)
num  target     prot opt source               destination

Table: filter
Chain INPUT (policy ACCEPT)
num  target     prot opt source               destination

Chain FORWARD (policy ACCEPT)
num  target     prot opt source               destination

Chain OUTPUT (policy ACCEPT)
num  target     prot opt source               destination

Port 1521 not open :

Code:
[root@fmsproddb satellite]# cat /etc/sysconfig/iptables
# Firewall configuration written by system-config-firewall
# Manual customization of this file is not recommended.
*filter
:INPUT ACCEPT [0:0]
:FORWARD ACCEPT [0:0]
:OUTPUT ACCEPT [0:0]
-A INPUT -m state --state ESTABLISHED,RELATED -j ACCEPT
-A INPUT -p icmp -j ACCEPT
-A INPUT -i lo -j ACCEPT
-A INPUT -p tcp -m state --state NEW --dport 23 -j ACCEPT
-A INPUT -m state --state NEW -m tcp -p tcp --dport 22 -j ACCEPT
-A INPUT -j REJECT --reject-with icmp-host-prohibited
-A FORWARD -j REJECT --reject-with icmp-host-prohibited
COMMIT
[root@fmsproddb satellite]#

However, it is listening on port 1521 :

Code:
[root@fmsproddb satellite]# netstat -tulpn | grep 1521
tcp        0      0 :::1521                     :::*                        LISTEN      27905/tnslsnr
[root@fmsproddb satellite]#

I assume it is listening because the application is turned on, and thus the service related to port 1521 turned on and that is why it is listening on this port?

Even if the network firewall (physical) is open, if the iptables is running in the server, it should not allow port 1521 to be open/listening?
I can't think of any other way how people can hack the server on port 1521. Please help clear my doubt.
# 2  
Old 02-04-2019
Please post the output of this command:

Code:
iptables -L

Thanks.
# 3  
Old 02-04-2019
Code:
[root@fmsproddb satellite]# iptables -L
Chain INPUT (policy ACCEPT)
target     prot opt source               destination

Chain FORWARD (policy ACCEPT)
target     prot opt source               destination

Chain OUTPUT (policy ACCEPT)
target     prot opt source               destination
[root@fmsproddb satellite]#

# 4  
Old 02-04-2019
That means that, whatever you are doing, you have no entries for IP tables.

In other words, you are running "wide open" with nothing blocked, filtered, or managed.
# 5  
Old 02-04-2019
Please let us know OS and version are you using. There are variations to consider.

Since creating the /etc/sysconfig/iptables, have you reloaded/restarted the service or rebooted?



Kind regards,
Robin
# 6  
Old 02-04-2019
If i remember correctly 1521 is one of the standard ports for the Oracle listener, so i suppose you have an Oracle database running there. That the listener listens is quite as it should be, no?

What makes you think the server "was hacked"?

I mean, iptables is just a packet filter and as such it cannot discern between legitimate content and an illegitimate one. It filters packets based on IP address (layer 3) and port (layer 4), nothing more, nothing less. Obviously you need to allow traffic to the configured port of the listener otherwise the database would not be usable. So either you allow this port or you disable it (eventually restricting to a certain range of IP addresses), but what content goes over this port (i.e. legitimate database queries vs. malicious content) the packet filter is the wrong tool to assess. For that you will need a "stateful inspection" type of firewall which iptables is not.

Also be aware that the concept of "host based firewalls" is a flawed one per design. A hosts role is either providing a service (that is: some application) OR providing firewall services, but not both! The reason is you don't want the host you want to protect run the firewall itself, beause in this scenario the malicious packages already have reached the interface they are trying to attack. You want the firewall in front of (and separated from) the host you try to protect so that the malicious content doesn't even reach the interface you want to protect.

I hope this helps.

bakunin

Last edited by bakunin; 02-04-2019 at 05:08 PM.. Reason: confused "stateful inspection" with "deep state inspection" - oh, the paranoia
# 7  
Old 02-04-2019
Guys,

iptables -L lists all the rules used by iptables.

When it returns:
Code:
iptables -L
Chain INPUT (policy ACCEPT)
target     prot opt source               destination

Chain FORWARD (policy ACCEPT)
target     prot opt source               destination

Chain OUTPUT (policy ACCEPT)
target     prot opt source               destination

This means there are NO RULEs loaded, there are no ports being blocked. Nada. There is no filtering going on.

Nothing.

The server is wide open, based on the iptables -L output provided (from an iptables perspective).

The original poster wanted to know how a port was accessed because they thought they had iptable() working on their server.

iptables -L shows, definitively, what rules are being used, and it is case there are NO RULES.

This means, from an iptables perspective, the server is wide open.

That is why an intruder was able to gain access (not discussing, of course, any other issues on the server).

The OP apparently has written a bunch of rules, but does not understand how to enable or manage iptables().

Cheers.
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