CVE-2000-0830 in WebTV
Summary
by MITRE
annclist.exe in webTV for Windows allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service by via a large, malformed UDP packet to ports 22701 through 22705.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/16/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2000-0830 affects the annclist.exe component within Microsoft webTV for Windows software ecosystem, representing a critical denial of service weakness that can be exploited through network-based attacks. This specific flaw resides in the application's handling of UDP packet processing within the webTV service framework, where the annclist.exe utility fails to properly validate incoming network traffic on designated ports. The vulnerability manifests when remote attackers send carefully crafted malformed UDP packets to the targeted port range of 22701 through 22705, which are typically used for webTV service announcements and network discovery functions. The affected system configuration specifically pertains to Microsoft webTV for Windows implementations that utilize these UDP ports for service announcement protocols, making the vulnerability particularly relevant to legacy network environments that may still maintain such implementations. This flaw constitutes a classic buffer overflow condition or input validation failure that can be leveraged to disrupt normal service operations without requiring authentication or elevated privileges. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes the weakness of stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a variant of network-based denial of service attacks that fall under the ATT&CK technique T1498, specifically targeting network denial of service through malformed packets. The attack vector requires only network access to the targeted system and does not demand specialized tools or extensive reconnaissance beyond identifying the vulnerable port range.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of UDP packet structures that the annclist.exe application processes without adequate validation mechanisms. When malformed packets arrive at the designated ports 22701 through 22705, the application's packet parsing routines fail to properly handle the unexpected data structures, leading to application instability or complete termination. The flaw demonstrates characteristics of improper input validation where the software assumes all incoming UDP packets conform to expected formats and sizes, without implementing proper bounds checking or data sanitization procedures. This lack of defensive programming practices allows attackers to craft packets with oversized data fields or malformed headers that exceed the application's expected processing capabilities. The vulnerability specifically impacts the webTV service announcement functionality where the application listens for network broadcasts to discover available services, making it particularly dangerous in network environments where multiple webTV services operate. The exploitation process involves sending a single malformed UDP packet to any port within the specified range, which can trigger the application crash or hang condition, effectively rendering the webTV service unavailable to legitimate users. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as the vulnerability can be exploited repeatedly to maintain persistent denial of service conditions, particularly in environments where the affected service automatically restarts or where attackers can quickly reinitiate attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2000-0830 extends beyond immediate service unavailability to encompass broader network reliability concerns and potential cascading effects within webTV service environments. Organizations utilizing Microsoft webTV for Windows may experience disruption of their network-based television services, affecting user experience and potentially impacting business operations that rely on these services for customer engagement. The vulnerability particularly affects legacy network infrastructures where webTV services were commonly deployed for home entertainment or corporate communication systems, making it relevant to organizations maintaining older network configurations. The denial of service condition can persist until the affected service is manually restarted or the system is rebooted, creating extended downtime periods that can be particularly problematic for services requiring high availability. Network administrators may also observe increased monitoring requirements and potential false positive alerts as the malformed packet traffic can generate unusual network behavior patterns that require investigation. The vulnerability's impact is amplified in environments where multiple webTV services operate simultaneously, as a single attack can potentially affect the entire service announcement infrastructure. Additionally, the vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper network segmentation and access controls, as attackers can exploit this weakness from remote locations without requiring physical access or network privileges. The attack can be executed automatically through simple network scanning tools, making it particularly dangerous for systems that are not properly secured or monitored.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2000-0830 should focus on immediate network-level protections combined with application-specific security measures to prevent exploitation. Network administrators should implement firewall rules to block UDP traffic on the vulnerable port range 22701 through 22705, particularly when these ports are not actively required for legitimate webTV services. The most effective immediate solution involves configuring network access control lists to prevent unauthorized UDP packet delivery to these specific ports, effectively blocking the attack vector before it can be exploited. System administrators should also consider disabling or removing the annclist.exe component if it is not essential for network operations, as this eliminates the vulnerable application from the attack surface. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper input validation and defensive programming practices, which can be implemented through code review processes and security testing protocols that identify similar weaknesses in other network applications. Organizations should also implement network monitoring solutions to detect unusual UDP packet patterns that may indicate attempted exploitation of this vulnerability, providing early warning capabilities for potential attacks. Regular security assessments should include evaluation of legacy network services for similar vulnerabilities, as this particular flaw demonstrates how older network protocols can contain exploitable conditions that persist long after their initial implementation. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security measures and the dangers of running legacy network services without proper security controls in place. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation strategies that isolate vulnerable services from critical network infrastructure, reducing the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. Additionally, the vulnerability highlights the need for comprehensive vulnerability management programs that regularly assess and remediate known weaknesses in network infrastructure components.