CVE-2000-1168 in HTTP Server
Summary
by MITRE
IBM HTTP Server 1.3.6 (based on Apache) allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary commands via a long GET request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/11/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2000-1168 affects IBM HTTP Server version 1.3.6 which is built upon the Apache web server framework. This flaw represents a critical security weakness that demonstrates the inherent risks present in web server implementations when handling malformed or excessively long input parameters. The vulnerability specifically targets the server's handling of GET requests, exposing a potential pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system's resource management mechanisms.
This security flaw operates through a buffer overflow condition that occurs when the server processes extremely long GET requests containing excessive data. The IBM HTTP Server implementation fails to properly validate the length of incoming request parameters, allowing attackers to craft malicious requests that exceed the server's buffer capacity. When the server attempts to process these oversized requests, it encounters memory corruption issues that can lead to system instability and potential code execution. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and memory management practices within the web server's request handling pipeline.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as it potentially enables remote code execution capabilities that could allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to the server environment. Attackers can leverage this weakness to disrupt service availability for legitimate users while simultaneously creating opportunities for more sophisticated attacks including privilege escalation and persistent system compromise. The vulnerability affects organizations relying on IBM HTTP Server 1.3.6, which was prevalent during the late 1990s and early 2000s when this issue was discovered.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121 which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of improper input validation that enables arbitrary code execution. The attack vector follows patterns consistent with those documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1499 category for network denial of service attacks. Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches, implementing input length restrictions, and deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious request patterns. The recommended remediation approach involves upgrading to patched versions of IBM HTTP Server or implementing network-level controls to limit request size parameters and prevent exploitation attempts.
This vulnerability underscores the critical importance of proper input validation and memory management in web server implementations. The flaw demonstrates how seemingly simple parameter handling can create significant security risks when proper bounds checking and resource allocation mechanisms are absent. Security practitioners should recognize this as a fundamental weakness that highlights the need for comprehensive security testing and code review practices in server-side applications. The long-term implications of such vulnerabilities emphasize the necessity of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against similar classes of attacks that may target other components of web infrastructure.