A significant security loophole within the Rust standard library has emerged, posing a threat specifically to Windows users by enabling potential command injection attacks. Designated as CVE-2024-24576 and carrying a maximum severity score of 10.0 according to the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS), this vulnerability is significant. However, it's worth noting that it solely affects situations where batch files are called upon in Windows environments with untrusted arguments.
The Rust Security Response working group, in an advisory issued on April 9, 2024, highlighted that the flaw arises from inadequacies in the Rust standard library's handling of arguments when initiating batch files (bearing the .bat and .cmd extensions) on Windows via the Command API. Essentially, the flaw permits attackers to execute arbitrary shell commands by circumventing the established escaping mechanisms.
This vulnerability affects all Rust versions preceding 1.77.2 and was initially discovered and reported by security researcher RyotaK to the CERT Coordination Center (CERT/CC). RyotaK, who named the vulnerability "BatBadBut," emphasized that it impacts multiple programming languages and stems from the manner in which these languages utilize the CreateProcess function in Windows while incorporating escape mechanisms for command arguments.
According to CERT/CC, the vulnerability underscores a broader issue wherein programming languages lack robust validation mechanisms for executing commands within the Windows environment. This oversight potentially allows attackers to execute disguised arbitrary code as command arguments.
The extent of the vulnerability's impact hinges on the implementation of vulnerable programming languages or modules. As not all programming languages have rectified the issue, developers are advised to exercise caution when executing commands on Windows platforms.
In order to mitigate the risk of inadvertent execution of batch files, RyotaK recommends relocating such files to a directory not included in the PATH environment variable. By doing so, batch files would only execute upon specification of their full path, thereby reducing the likelihood of unexpected execution.
