CVE-2002-0789 in mnoGoSearch
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in search.cgi in mnoGoSearch 3.1.19 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a long query (q) parameter.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/13/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-0789 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the mnoGoSearch search engine software version 3.1.19 and earlier. This issue resides in the search.cgi component which processes user input through the query parameter q. The buffer overflow occurs when the application fails to properly validate the length of input data before copying it into a fixed-size buffer, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers to gain unauthorized system access.
This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-121, which specifically addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations. The flaw demonstrates characteristics of CWE-787, heap-based buffer overflow, when considering the potential for memory corruption across different buffer types within the application's memory management. The technical implementation of this vulnerability enables attackers to craft malicious input strings that exceed the allocated buffer size, causing the program to overwrite adjacent memory regions including return addresses and control data structures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to encompass full system compromise capabilities. Remote attackers can exploit the buffer overflow to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the web server process, potentially leading to complete system takeover. The attack vector requires only a single HTTP request containing a specially crafted query parameter, making it highly accessible and dangerous for systems running vulnerable versions of mnoGoSearch. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1203, which describes the use of input validation flaws to execute malicious code, and T1059, representing command and scripting interpreter usage for code execution.
Organizations utilizing mnoGoSearch software must immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability. The primary remediation involves upgrading to a patched version of mnoGoSearch that properly implements input validation and buffer size checking mechanisms. Additionally, administrators should deploy web application firewalls to filter malicious input patterns and implement proper input sanitization measures that enforce maximum parameter length limits. Network segmentation and privilege separation practices should be reinforced to limit potential damage from successful exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar buffer overflow conditions within other applications and systems to prevent similar security incidents from occurring in the broader infrastructure landscape.