CVE-2002-1905 in Viavideo
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the web server of Polycom ViaVideo 2.2 and 3.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a long HTTP GET request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/30/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1905 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the web server component of Polycom ViaVideo version 2.2 and 3.0 systems. This security weakness resides in the handling of HTTP GET requests, where the web server fails to properly validate input length before processing incoming requests. The flaw allows remote attackers to exploit the system by crafting specially formatted HTTP GET requests that exceed the allocated buffer size, leading to memory corruption and subsequent system instability.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic buffer overflow condition where insufficient bounds checking occurs during HTTP request processing. When the web server receives an excessively long HTTP GET request, the application attempts to store the request data in a fixed-size buffer without proper validation of the input length. This allows the attacker to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially causing the web server process to crash or behave unpredictably. The vulnerability specifically targets the HTTP GET method, which is one of the most commonly used HTTP methods for retrieving data from web servers, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations utilizing Polycom ViaVideo systems, as it enables remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks without requiring authentication or specialized access privileges. The attack can be executed from any location on the internet, making it accessible to a broad range of threat actors. Successful exploitation results in complete system downtime for the affected web server, disrupting legitimate user access to video conferencing services and potentially affecting business continuity operations. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not need physical access to the network or system to cause disruption.
Organizations should prioritize immediate mitigation efforts including applying vendor patches or firmware updates that address the buffer overflow condition in the web server component. System administrators should also implement network-level restrictions such as firewall rules that limit access to the affected web server ports and consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious HTTP GET request patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which categorizes buffer overflow conditions as a fundamental weakness in software design that can lead to arbitrary code execution or system crashes. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the T1499.004 technique related to network denial of service attacks, where adversaries leverage system weaknesses to disrupt service availability. Additionally, the vulnerability demonstrates characteristics of T1595.001, which involves reconnaissance activities to identify system weaknesses that can be exploited for service disruption. Regular security assessments and input validation testing should be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other network services.