CVE-2001-0683 in Collabra Server
Summary
by MITRE
Memory leak in Netscape Collabra Server 3.5.4 and earlier allows a remote attacker to cause a denial of service (memory exhaustion) by repeatedly sending approximately 5K of data to TCP port 5238.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/26/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2001-0683 represents a critical memory management flaw within the Netscape Collabra Server version 3.5.4 and earlier installations. This memory leak occurs specifically when the server processes incoming data through TCP port 5238, which is designated for the Collabra server's administrative interface. The flaw manifests when remote attackers repeatedly send approximately 5 kilobytes of data to this port, causing the server to consume increasing amounts of memory without properly releasing allocated resources. This particular vulnerability falls under the category of memory exhaustion attacks that can lead to complete service disruption.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate memory management practices within the server's data processing routines. When the Collabra server receives data packets through the designated port, it allocates memory blocks to handle the incoming information but fails to properly deallocate these resources upon completion of processing. This improper memory handling creates a progressive accumulation of allocated memory that eventually exhausts the server's available memory resources. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires minimal data input to cause significant resource consumption, making it an effective denial of service vector that can be exploited with relatively simple attack payloads.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the overall stability and availability of enterprise collaboration services. Organizations relying on Netscape Collabra Server for business-critical applications face significant risk of service outages that can affect productivity and communication workflows. The memory exhaustion can cause the server to become unresponsive, crash, or require manual intervention to restore normal operations. This type of denial of service vulnerability aligns with attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the 'Resource Exhaustion' technique, where adversaries target system resources to prevent legitimate use of services. The vulnerability also corresponds to CWE-401, which specifically addresses memory leaks in software applications, highlighting the fundamental flaw in memory management design that enables this attack vector.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of security patches and updates from Netscape, as well as network-level protections to limit exposure to the affected port. Organizations should implement rate limiting mechanisms to restrict the volume of data that can be sent to TCP port 5238, effectively preventing the accumulation of memory allocations that lead to exhaustion. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be configured to restrict access to this administrative port to only trusted sources and IP addresses. Additionally, monitoring systems should be deployed to detect unusual memory consumption patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper memory management in server applications and serves as a reminder of the potential for seemingly minor implementation flaws to result in significant security incidents that can impact enterprise operations and service availability.