CVE-2001-0386 in SimpleServer:WWW
Summary
by MITRE
AnalogX SimpleServer:WWW 1.08 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via an HTTP request to the /aux directory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/06/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2001-0386 affects AnalogX SimpleServer:WWW version 1.08, a lightweight web server application that was popular in the early 2000s for its simplicity and minimal resource requirements. This particular flaw represents a classic denial of service vulnerability that exploits the server's handling of specific directory requests. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows remote attackers to disrupt service without requiring any authentication or privileged access, making it an attractive target for malicious actors seeking to compromise system availability.
The technical flaw manifests when the server receives an HTTP request directed to the /aux directory, which is a reserved device name in the Windows operating system. This directory reference triggers an unexpected behavior in the server's request processing logic, causing the application to crash or become unresponsive. The underlying issue stems from improper input validation and path handling within the web server's code implementation, where the system fails to properly sanitize or reject requests containing invalid directory references. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-20, which encompasses improper input validation, and specifically relates to CWE-129, which deals with insufficient validation of the length or contents of a buffer.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can be exploited to create persistent availability issues for systems running the affected web server. Attackers can repeatedly send malformed requests to the /aux directory, causing the server to continuously crash and restart, leading to extended periods of service unavailability. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in production environments where uptime is critical. The attack vector is straightforward and can be executed using basic network tools, requiring no specialized knowledge or expensive equipment. This accessibility aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and demonstrates how simple implementation flaws can create significant operational risks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of the affected software, as AnalogX released updates to address this specific issue. System administrators should also implement network-level filtering to block requests to reserved device names and directories, creating a defensive barrier against similar attacks. Additional protective measures include configuring the web server to log and monitor suspicious requests, implementing rate limiting to prevent abuse, and conducting regular security assessments of web server configurations. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and the need for security-conscious development practices, particularly when dealing with file system interactions and directory traversal operations. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify and alert on patterns consistent with this type of denial of service attack.