CVE-2002-1941 in Web Server 4 Everyone
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in RadioBird WebServer 4 Everyone 1.28 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a long HTTP GET request with the Host header set.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/28/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1941 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the RadioBird WebServer 4 Everyone version 1.28 implementation. This issue manifests specifically when processing HTTP GET requests that contain an excessively long Host header field, creating a condition where the server fails to properly validate input length before attempting to process the request. The flaw resides in the web server's handling of client-provided data without adequate bounds checking, allowing malicious actors to exploit this weakness through carefully crafted network traffic.
The technical execution of this vulnerability follows a classic buffer overflow pattern where the server's internal buffer allocation for processing the Host header field exceeds its allocated memory space. When an attacker sends an HTTP GET request with an oversized Host header, the web server's parsing routine attempts to copy this data into a fixed-size buffer without proper validation. This results in memory corruption that can cause the web server process to terminate unexpectedly, leading to a denial of service condition that renders the affected system unavailable to legitimate users. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires no authentication or specialized privileges to exploit, making it particularly dangerous in production environments.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant disruption to web services by enabling remote attackers to crash the RadioBird WebServer 4 Everyone instance through simple network-based attacks. The denial of service condition affects availability and can be exploited repeatedly to maintain system unavailability, potentially causing business disruption and loss of service for end users. The attack vector is straightforward and can be automated, allowing for rapid exploitation across multiple targets. Organizations relying on this specific web server implementation face immediate risk of service interruption and potential reputational damage from extended periods of unavailability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-1941 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected RadioBird WebServer 4 Everyone version 1.28, as this represents the most effective solution to address the root cause. Network administrators should implement input validation measures at the perimeter, including HTTP request length restrictions and host header validation to prevent overly long requests from reaching the vulnerable server. Additionally, deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify and block suspicious HTTP GET requests with unusually long Host headers provides an additional layer of defense. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of vulnerable systems to external threats. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of how improper input validation can lead to system instability and availability compromise. This weakness also maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks through resource exhaustion or system crashes, highlighting the operational security implications of unpatched buffer overflow vulnerabilities in web server implementations.