CVE-2001-1250 in vWebServer
Summary
by MITRE
vWebServer 1.2.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (hang) via a small number of long URL requests, possibly due to a buffer overflow.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/10/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2001-1250 affects vWebServer version 1.2.0, a web server implementation that was prevalent during the early 2000s era of internet infrastructure. This particular vulnerability represents a classic denial of service condition that can be exploited by remote attackers to disrupt service availability. The flaw manifests when the server receives a small number of requests containing extremely long URLs, which causes the server to hang or become unresponsive. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of resource exhaustion attacks that target the server's ability to process incoming requests properly.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves improper handling of input validation within the web server's URL parsing functionality. When the server receives URLs that exceed predetermined buffer limits, the parsing routine fails to properly manage the memory allocation or input processing, leading to a condition where the server becomes unresponsive. This behavior is consistent with buffer overflow conditions, though the specific implementation suggests the server may have been using fixed-size buffers without adequate bounds checking. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only a small number of malicious requests to trigger the denial of service condition, making it an efficient attack vector for disrupting service availability.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations relying on vWebServer 1.2.0 for their web hosting needs. The ease of exploitation means that even a single attacker could potentially disrupt services for extended periods, affecting legitimate users and potentially causing financial losses. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple service interruption as it can be used as a precursor to more sophisticated attacks or as a means to mask other malicious activities. The fact that this vulnerability was discovered in 2001 indicates it was likely present in many production environments for years without proper patching or mitigation, highlighting the importance of regular security assessments.
The vulnerability can be categorized under CWE-121, which addresses buffer overflow conditions, and relates to the broader category of CWE-400, which covers resource exhaustion vulnerabilities. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1498 category for denial of service attacks. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of vWebServer, implementing rate limiting mechanisms to prevent abuse of URL parsing functionality, and configuring input validation controls that limit URL length. Additionally, network-level protections such as intrusion detection systems can help identify and block malicious requests targeting this specific vulnerability pattern. The remediation process should also include comprehensive testing of updated configurations to ensure that legitimate service functionality remains intact while addressing the denial of service condition.