CVE-2002-0263 in EZboard 2000
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in EasyBoard 2000 1.27 (aka EZboard) allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a long boundary value in a multipart Content-Type header to (1) ezboard.cgi, (2) ezman.cgi, or (3) ezadmin.cgi.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/11/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-0263 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within EasyBoard 2000 1.27, also known as EZboard web application software. This security weakness exists in three primary CGI scripts including ezboardcgi, ezmancgi, and ezadmincgi which are integral components of the web-based bulletin board system. The flaw manifests when the application processes HTTP requests containing a malformed multipart Content-Type header with an excessively long boundary value, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers to gain unauthorized system access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the parsing logic of the affected CGI scripts. When the application encounters a multipart Content-Type header with a boundary parameter exceeding the allocated buffer space, it fails to properly handle the overflow condition, resulting in memory corruption. This buffer overflow occurs because the software does not enforce bounds checking on the boundary value length before copying it into a fixed-size buffer, directly violating fundamental security principles of input sanitization and memory management. The vulnerability is classified as a classic stack-based buffer overflow according to CWE-121, which falls under the broader category of CWE-787 - "Out-of-bounds Write" and represents a common attack vector that has been documented extensively in the security community.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and potentially catastrophic for affected systems. Remote attackers can exploit this condition to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the web server process, typically resulting in complete system compromise. The attack requires no authentication and can be launched from any network location, making it particularly dangerous in web-facing environments. Successful exploitation could lead to data theft, system infiltration, privilege escalation, and potential lateral movement within network infrastructures. The vulnerability affects not only the immediate web application but also potentially the entire underlying operating system, as the buffer overflow could be used to overwrite critical program memory structures or even jump to malicious code injected into the stack.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches or upgrading to newer versions of the EZboard software. System administrators should also consider implementing network-based protections such as intrusion detection systems and web application firewalls to monitor for suspicious Content-Type header patterns. Additionally, the principle of least privilege should be enforced by running web server processes with minimal required permissions and ensuring proper input validation is implemented at multiple layers of the application architecture. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1203 - "Exploitation for Client Execution" and T1068 - "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" techniques, demonstrating how buffer overflow exploits can be used to establish persistent access and elevate system privileges. The vulnerability also aligns with T1190 - "Exploit Public-Facing Application" as it represents an attack against a publicly accessible web application component that can be exploited without prior access to the system.