CVE-2000-0908 in BrowseGate
Summary
by MITRE
BrowseGate 2.80 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary commands via long Authorization or Referer MIME headers in the HTTP request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/23/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2000-0908 affects BrowseGate 2.80, a web proxy server software that serves as an intermediary between clients and web servers. This issue represents a classic buffer overflow condition that manifests when the proxy server processes malformed HTTP requests containing excessively long Authorization or Referer MIME headers. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and boundary checking within the HTTP request parsing logic of the web proxy software, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers to compromise system integrity.
The technical flaw in BrowseGate 2.80 operates through a buffer overflow mechanism where the software fails to properly validate the length of incoming HTTP headers before processing them. When an attacker sends an HTTP request containing Authorization or Referer headers that exceed the allocated buffer space, the excess data overflows into adjacent memory regions, potentially corrupting critical system memory structures. This overflow condition can be exploited to either crash the proxy service, resulting in a denial of service, or in more severe cases, to inject and execute arbitrary code on the vulnerable system. The vulnerability specifically targets the HTTP request parsing component and falls under the category of improper input validation as defined by CWE-120, which addresses buffer overflow conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially enable full system compromise. A successful exploitation could allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the BrowseGate process, which typically runs with elevated permissions on the host system. This creates a significant security risk for organizations relying on the proxy server for network access control and web filtering. The vulnerability affects the availability and integrity of the proxy service, potentially allowing attackers to bypass security controls, access restricted resources, or use the compromised proxy as a pivot point for further attacks within the network infrastructure. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1498 for network denial of service and potentially T1059 for command execution through compromised proxy services.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2000-0908 should focus on immediate patching of the BrowseGate software to the latest available version that addresses the buffer overflow vulnerability. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to the proxy server and deploy intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious HTTP request patterns containing unusually long headers. Input validation should be enhanced at network boundaries to filter out malformed requests before they reach the vulnerable proxy service. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing strict header length limits within the proxy configuration and regularly monitor proxy logs for potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and memory management in network infrastructure software, aligning with security best practices outlined in standards such as ISO 27001 and NIST cybersecurity frameworks. Organizations should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify similar buffer overflow conditions in other network services and applications.