CVE-2000-0817 in Network Monitor
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the HTTP protocol parser for Microsoft Network Monitor (Netmon) allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via malformed data, aka the "Netmon Protocol Parsing" vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/09/2019
The CVE-2000-0817 vulnerability represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within Microsoft Network Monitor's HTTP protocol parser, exposing systems to remote code execution attacks. This vulnerability specifically affects Microsoft Network Monitor version 3.0 and earlier versions, making it one of the earliest documented network protocol parsing vulnerabilities in Microsoft's security landscape. The flaw occurs when the application processes malformed HTTP protocol data, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers to gain unauthorized system access.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the HTTP protocol parsing component of Netmon. When the application encounters malformed HTTP data packets containing oversized buffers or malformed headers, the parsing routine fails to properly bounds-check memory allocations, leading to a classic buffer overflow condition. This overflow allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting program execution flow and enabling arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the Network Monitor process. The vulnerability specifically targets the protocol analysis engine that processes network traffic for monitoring and analysis purposes, making it particularly dangerous in network security contexts where such tools are widely deployed.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations relying on Microsoft Network Monitor for network traffic analysis and security monitoring. Attackers can exploit this flaw by crafting malicious HTTP traffic that, when captured and processed by the vulnerable Netmon instance, triggers the buffer overflow condition. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not need physical access to the system, allowing them to compromise network monitoring infrastructure from external networks. This creates a particularly dangerous scenario where an attacker could potentially compromise network security tools themselves, undermining the very security monitoring capabilities that organizations depend upon for threat detection and response.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of improper input validation in network protocol handlers. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving remote code execution and privilege escalation, specifically targeting the execution of malicious code through protocol parsing flaws. Organizations using Network Monitor for security monitoring face a critical risk where their defensive tools become attack vectors, potentially allowing adversaries to establish persistent access or escalate privileges within network environments. The impact extends beyond simple system compromise, as compromised monitoring tools could provide attackers with complete visibility into network traffic patterns and potentially sensitive data flows.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2000-0817 primarily involve immediate patching of affected Microsoft Network Monitor installations, with Microsoft releasing security updates to address the buffer overflow condition. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of Network Monitor instances to untrusted networks. Network administrators should consider disabling unnecessary protocol parsing capabilities within monitoring tools and implementing additional monitoring for anomalous traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a historical example of how protocol parsing errors in network security tools can create dangerous attack surfaces that require careful attention to input validation and memory management practices.