Linux Memory Cryptographic Keys Extractor - CryKeX





CryKeX - Linux Memory Cryptographic Keys Extractor

Properties:
  • Cross-platform
  • Minimalism
  • Simplicity
  • Interactivity
  • Compatibility/Portability
  • Application Independable
  • Process Wrapping
  • Process Injection

Dependencies:
  • Unix - should work on any Unix-based OS
    • BASH - the whole script
    • root privileges (optional)
Limitations:
  • AES and RSA keys only
  • Fails most of the time for Firefox browser
  • Won't work for disk encryption (LUKS) and PGP/GPG
  • Needs proper user privileges and memory authorizations

How it works
Some work has been already published regarding the subject of cryptograhic keys security within DRAM. Basically, we need to find something that looks like a key (entropic and specific length) and then confirm its nature by analyzing the memory structure around it (C data types).
The idea is to dump live memory of a process and use those techniques in order to find probable keys since, memory mapping doesn't change. Thanks-fully, tools exist for that purpose.
The script is not only capable of injecting into already running processes, but also wrapping new ones, by launching them separately and injecting shortly afterwards. This makes it capable of dumping keys from almost any process/binary on the system.
Of course, accessing a memory is limited by kernel, which means that you will still require privileges for a process.
Linux disk ecnryption (LUKS) uses anti-forensic technique in order to mitigate such issue, however, extracting keys from a whole memory is still possible.
Firefox browser uses somehow similar memory management, thus seems not to be affected.
Same goes for PGP/GPG.

HowTo
Installing dependencies:
sudo apt install gdb aeskeyfind rsakeyfind || echo 'have you heard about source compiling?'
An interactive example for OpenSSL AES keys:
openssl aes-128-ecb -nosalt -out testAES.enc
Enter a password twice, then some text and before terminating:
CryKeX.sh openssl
Finally, press Ctrl+D 3 times and check the result.
OpenSSL RSA keys:
openssl genrsa -des3 -out testRSA.pem 2048
When prompted for passphrase:
CryKeX.sh openssl
Verify:
openssl rsa -noout -text -in testRSA.pem
Let's extract keys from SSH:
echo 'Ciphers [email protected]' >> /etc/ssh/sshd_config
ssh [email protected]
CryKeX.sh ssh
From OpenVPN:
echo 'cipher AES-256-CBC' >> /etc/openvpn/server.conf
openvpn yourConf.ovpn
sudo CryKeX.sh openvpn
TrueCrypt/VeraCrypt is also affected: Select "veracrypt" file in VeraCrypt, mount with password "pass" and:
sudo CryKeX.sh veracrypt
Chromium-based browsers (thanks Google):
CryKeX.sh chromium
CryKeX.sh google-chrome
Despite Firefox not being explicitly affected, Tor Browser Bundle is still susceptible due to tunneling:
CryKeX.sh tor
As said, you can also wrap processes:
apt install libssl-dev
gcc -lcrypto cipher.c -o cipher
CryKeX.sh cipher
wrap
cipher