CVE-2000-0290 in WebSTAR
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in Webstar HTTP server allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a long GET request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/21/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2000-0290 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the Webstar HTTP server implementation that fundamentally compromises system stability and availability. This issue manifests when the server processes GET requests containing excessive data lengths, creating a condition where the application fails to properly validate input boundaries before writing data to memory buffers. The flaw resides in the server's request handling mechanism, specifically in how it processes the HTTP GET method parameters without adequate bounds checking, leading to memory corruption that can be exploited by remote attackers to disrupt service availability.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability operates through a straightforward yet effective methodology where attackers craft specially formatted HTTP GET requests containing oversized parameter strings or query components. When the Webstar server receives such malformed requests, it attempts to store the excessive input data within predetermined memory buffers that lack sufficient capacity to accommodate the incoming payload. This overflow condition typically results in memory corruption that can cause the server process to crash or become unresponsive, thereby creating a denial of service condition that affects legitimate users attempting to access the web services. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires no authentication or privileged access to exploit, making it particularly dangerous in production environments.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk to organizations relying on Webstar servers for hosting web applications or services. The denial of service condition can result in complete service interruption, potentially affecting business operations and customer access to critical web resources. The vulnerability's exploitation does not require advanced technical skills, as it can be executed using standard network tools and HTTP request construction methods. Security professionals must recognize that this flaw represents a classic buffer overflow pattern that has been documented in numerous security frameworks and standards, including CWE-121 which categorizes buffer overflow conditions as a fundamental software weakness. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which covers network denial of service attacks targeting application availability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2000-0290 must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the future. Organizations should prioritize applying vendor patches or upgrading to newer server implementations that properly implement input validation and bounds checking mechanisms. The immediate solution involves ensuring that all HTTP request handling components perform adequate length validation before processing incoming data, implementing proper buffer management techniques, and establishing robust input sanitization routines. Additionally, network-level protections such as intrusion detection systems and rate limiting mechanisms can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Security architects should implement defense-in-depth strategies including application firewalls, web application firewalls, and proper monitoring of server process behavior to identify potential exploitation attempts before they cause significant service disruption. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of regular security assessments and code reviews to identify similar buffer overflow conditions that may exist in other components of the web infrastructure stack.