CVE-2001-0390 in WebSphere Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Websphere/NetCommerce3 3.1.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service by directly calling the macro.d2w macro with a long string of %0a characters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/30/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2001-0390 affects IBM Websphere/NetCommerce3 version 3.1.2, representing a classic denial of service flaw that exploits improper input handling within the web application framework. This issue specifically targets the macro.d2w component which processes macro invocations within the application's dynamic web content processing pipeline. The vulnerability arises from the application's failure to properly validate or limit input length when processing URL-encoded characters, particularly the percent-encoded newline character sequence %0a which represents the ascii newline character. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious requests that contain excessive sequences of these encoded newline characters directly calling the macro.d2w endpoint.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and buffer management within the web application's macro processing engine. When the system receives a request containing a long string of %0a characters, it fails to impose reasonable limits on input length or properly parse the encoded sequences, leading to potential stack or memory buffer overflows that cause the application to crash or become unresponsive. This type of flaw falls under the CWE-122 vulnerability category, which encompasses buffer overflow conditions that occur when a program writes more data to a fixed-length buffer than it can hold, and specifically relates to CWE-770 which deals with allocation of resources without limits or with inadequate limits. The vulnerability represents a fundamental weakness in the application's defensive programming practices and input validation mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the availability of critical e-commerce services running on the affected platform. Remote attackers can exploit this flaw without requiring authentication or special privileges, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where availability of web applications is paramount for business operations. The denial of service condition can persist until the application is manually restarted or the system is rebooted, potentially causing significant financial losses for organizations relying on NetCommerce3 for their online transactions. This vulnerability directly maps to the ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which describes the use of network denial of service attacks to disrupt services, and also aligns with T1566.001 which covers the exploitation of vulnerabilities in remote services to gain unauthorized access or cause system disruption.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of input length restrictions and proper validation of URL-encoded sequences within the macro.d2w processing pipeline. Organizations should deploy web application firewalls or intrusion prevention systems that can detect and block excessive newline character sequences in URL parameters. The most effective long-term solution involves updating to patched versions of IBM Websphere/NetCommerce3 that properly handle input validation and buffer management. Additionally, implementing proper rate limiting and request size constraints at the network level can help prevent exploitation of this specific vulnerability while maintaining application functionality. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive input validation reviews of all web application components to identify similar weaknesses that could be exploited in similar fashion.