CVE-2001-0600 in Domino
Summary
by MITRE
Lotus Domino R5 prior to 5.0.7 allows a remote attacker to create a denial of service via repeated URL requests with the same HTTP headers, such as (1) Accept, (2) Accept-Charset, (3) Accept-Encoding, (4) Accept-Language, and (5) Content-Type.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/22/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2001-0600 affects IBM Lotus Domino R5 versions prior to 5.0.7 and represents a classic denial of service attack vector that exploits the server's handling of HTTP request processing. This weakness specifically targets the web server component of Lotus Domino, which was widely used in enterprise environments for email and collaboration services during the early 2000s. The vulnerability manifests when the server receives repeated HTTP requests containing identical headers, creating a condition where the server's resource management becomes overwhelmed and eventually becomes unresponsive to legitimate requests. This type of attack falls under the category of resource exhaustion attacks that have been documented in various cybersecurity frameworks and represents a significant threat to service availability in mission-critical systems.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate input validation and resource management within the Lotus Domino web server implementation. When multiple requests are received with identical HTTP headers including Accept, Accept-Charset, Accept-Encoding, Accept-Language, and Content-Type, the server's internal processing mechanisms fail to properly handle these repeated patterns efficiently. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires minimal effort from an attacker to execute and can effectively bring down the entire web server functionality. This behavior aligns with CWE-400, which describes unchecked resource consumption vulnerabilities, and demonstrates how seemingly benign HTTP header processing can become a critical security flaw when not properly managed. The server's inability to distinguish between legitimate and malicious repeated requests creates a window where an attacker can consume available resources and prevent legitimate users from accessing services.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise entire enterprise communication infrastructures. In organizations relying on Lotus Domino for email services, calendaring, and collaboration, a successful denial of service attack could render critical business applications inaccessible to employees and customers. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it can be executed remotely without requiring authentication or specialized privileges, making it accessible to any attacker with network access to the target server. This vulnerability represents a significant concern for organizations following ATT&CK framework's T1499 technique for network denial of service, where adversaries leverage weaknesses in system resources to prevent legitimate access to services. The impact is exacerbated by the fact that the vulnerability affects the core web server functionality, potentially disrupting business operations across multiple departments simultaneously.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on both immediate patching and architectural improvements to prevent similar issues in the future. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to Lotus Domino R5 5.0.7 or later versions, which contain the necessary fixes to properly handle repeated HTTP header requests. Network administrators should also implement rate limiting and request monitoring mechanisms to detect and prevent abnormal patterns of repeated requests from overwhelming the server. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and resource management policies within the web server configuration can help mitigate the impact of such attacks. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper resource management in web server implementations and serves as a reminder that even fundamental HTTP processing can become a security concern when not properly secured. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can monitor for unusual patterns of HTTP requests and automatically respond to potential denial of service attacks. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical need for comprehensive security testing of web server components and proper handling of edge cases in HTTP request processing.