CVE-2001-0007 in ScreenOS
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in NetScreen Firewall WebUI allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a long URL request to the web administration interface.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/31/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2001-0007 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the NetScreen Firewall web administration interface. This issue manifests when the system processes excessively long URL requests submitted through the web user interface, creating a condition where memory boundaries are exceeded during input validation. The flaw exists in the handling of user-supplied data within the web management component of the firewall appliance, specifically affecting the buffer allocation mechanisms used to process HTTP request parameters. Such buffer overflows typically occur when programs fail to properly validate input length before copying data into fixed-size memory buffers, leading to memory corruption that can result in system instability or complete service disruption.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability leverages the web administration interface's insufficient bounds checking for URL parameters, allowing malicious actors to craft specially formatted requests containing excessive data sequences. When the firewall's web server processes these malformed requests, the buffer overflow condition triggers memory corruption that can cause the web interface to crash or become unresponsive. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires no authentication to exploit, making it accessible to remote attackers who can simply submit a malformed URL request to the target system's web administration port. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190 for exploitation of vulnerabilities in network infrastructure devices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, as it represents a fundamental security weakness in network perimeter protection equipment. Organizations relying on NetScreen firewalls for network security face potential exposure to service disruption attacks that could render their firewall management interfaces inaccessible, thereby compromising their ability to monitor and control network traffic. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can target these systems from outside the network perimeter without requiring physical access or network credentials, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with exposed firewall management interfaces. This flaw essentially undermines the availability of the firewall's administrative capabilities, which are crucial for maintaining network security posture and responding to security incidents.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2001-0007 should prioritize immediate patch application from the vendor, as this vulnerability was addressed through firmware updates that implemented proper input validation and buffer size enforcement. Network administrators should also implement network segmentation to limit direct access to firewall management interfaces, utilizing firewalls to restrict access to these administrative ports from trusted networks only. Additional protective measures include implementing web application firewalls to filter malicious requests and monitoring for unusual URL patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of input validation in network infrastructure components and demonstrates how seemingly simple flaws in web interfaces can have significant operational consequences for network security. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures to address potential service disruption events. Regular security assessments of network infrastructure components remain essential to identify similar vulnerabilities that could compromise network security and availability.