CVE-2002-0298 in ScriptEase Webserver
Summary
by MITRE
ScriptEase MiniWeb Server 0.95 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via certain HTTP GET requests containing (1) a %2e%2e (encoded dot-dot), (2) several /../ (dot dot) sequences, (3) a missing URI, or (4) several ../ in a URI that does not begin with a / (slash) character.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/20/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-0298 affects ScriptEase MiniWeb Server version 0.95, representing a classic directory traversal attack vector that exploits improper input validation in web server implementations. This vulnerability resides in the server's handling of HTTP GET requests and demonstrates a fundamental flaw in path resolution mechanisms that can be exploited to crash the service. The attack leverages specific encoding patterns and malformed URI structures to manipulate how the server processes file paths, ultimately leading to system instability and denial of service conditions.
The technical exploitation occurs through carefully crafted HTTP GET requests that contain various combinations of encoded and unencoded directory traversal sequences. Attackers can utilize encoded dot-dot sequences such as %2e%2e which represents the .. characters in URL encoding, or multiple /../ sequences that attempt to navigate up directory levels beyond the intended web root. Additionally, the vulnerability extends to cases where URIs lack proper leading slashes or contain malformed sequences that do not begin with forward slashes, creating parsing inconsistencies within the server's path resolution logic. These malformed requests exploit the server's failure to properly sanitize and validate incoming URI components before processing them as file paths.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables remote attackers to disrupt service availability without requiring authentication or specialized privileges. The denial of service condition manifests as complete server crashes or unresponsiveness, effectively preventing legitimate users from accessing web resources hosted on the affected server. This represents a critical weakness in the server's input validation mechanisms and highlights the importance of proper path traversal protection in web server implementations. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical expertise and can be automated, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where service availability is paramount.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as directory traversal or path traversal attacks. The flaw demonstrates the classic attack pattern where insufficient input validation allows attackers to manipulate file system access through carefully crafted requests. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique through resource consumption and service disruption, though in this case the impact is specifically denial of service rather than privilege elevation. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation at the server level, including proper URI sanitization and path resolution checks that prevent traversal beyond intended directories. Mitigation strategies include updating to patched versions of the MiniWeb Server, implementing web application firewalls, and deploying proper access controls that limit the impact of such attacks on system availability.
The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of robust input validation in web server implementations and demonstrates how seemingly simple parsing issues can lead to complete service disruption. Modern security practices recommend implementing strict path validation, canonicalizing all URI components, and ensuring that all file access operations occur within properly defined boundaries. The attack vector represents a fundamental weakness in the server's architecture that could potentially be extended to other similar systems, making proactive remediation essential for maintaining overall network security posture.