CVE-2000-0710 in FrontPage Server Extensions
Summary
by MITRE
The shtml.exe component of Microsoft FrontPage 2000 Server Extensions 1.1 allows remote attackers determine the physical path of the server components by requesting an invalid URL whose name includes a standard DOS device name.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/11/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2000-0710 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within Microsoft FrontPage 2000 Server Extensions version 1.1, specifically affecting the shtml.exe component. This weakness stems from the improper handling of URL requests that contain standard dos device names such as con, prn, aux, nul, and com1 through com9. When attackers submit malformed URLs incorporating these reserved device names, the server responds with detailed error messages that inadvertently reveal the physical file paths used by the FrontPage server extensions. This behavior directly violates security principles by exposing sensitive system information that should remain hidden from unauthorized users.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability operates through the server's response handling process where the shtml.exe component fails to properly sanitize input containing reserved device names. When processing a request with such malformed URLs, the web server generates error responses that include the complete physical path to the server components, effectively providing attackers with directory structures and file locations that would normally be protected from public access. This type of information disclosure creates a foundation for further attacks by exposing the underlying file system structure and potentially revealing other vulnerabilities within the server configuration.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability significantly weakens the security posture of affected systems by enabling attackers to gather crucial reconnaissance information without requiring authentication or advanced exploitation techniques. The exposure of physical paths allows threat actors to better understand the server environment and plan subsequent attacks more effectively. This information can be used to identify potential targets for directory traversal attacks, file inclusion vulnerabilities, or to map the complete server infrastructure for more sophisticated exploitation attempts. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations using FrontPage Server Extensions as their web publishing platform, making it a significant concern for businesses relying on this technology for their web content management.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as a classic example of information disclosure through error handling, which aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-209 and CWE-210 in the CWE database. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1212 - Exploitation for Credential Access, as the leaked information can facilitate further exploitation. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including disabling FrontPage Server Extensions if not actively required, applying available patches from Microsoft, and configuring web server error responses to avoid revealing system-specific information. Additionally, network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual URL patterns containing reserved device names, and access controls should be implemented to restrict who can submit requests to the affected components. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and error handling in web applications, as even seemingly benign server responses can provide attackers with valuable reconnaissance data.