CVE-2002-1988 in Resin
Summary
by MITRE
Resin 2.1.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption and hang) via a URL with long variables for non-existent resources.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/31/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1988 affects Resin 2.1.1 web server software and represents a classic denial of service flaw that exploits improper handling of malformed URL parameters. This vulnerability resides in the application layer of the network stack and specifically targets the resource processing mechanism within the Resin server implementation. The flaw manifests when the server receives HTTP requests containing excessively long variable names in URLs that reference non-existent resources, leading to abnormal resource consumption patterns that ultimately result in system instability and service unavailability.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and resource management within the Resin server's URL parsing and parameter handling components. When processing URLs with extended variable names for non-existent resources, the server fails to implement proper bounds checking or resource limiting mechanisms. This allows attackers to craft malicious requests that cause the application to consume excessive memory resources while attempting to process the malformed parameters. The vulnerability specifically targets the server's internal resource allocation routines that handle URL variable parsing, where the system continues to allocate memory for processing increasingly long variable names without proper termination conditions.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to web application availability and system stability. Remote attackers can exploit this flaw to consume system memory resources rapidly, potentially leading to complete system hangs or crashes that render the affected Resin server unavailable to legitimate users. The memory consumption pattern typically follows a predictable growth trajectory as the server attempts to process the malformed URL parameters, making it difficult for administrators to distinguish between legitimate high-load scenarios and malicious exploitation attempts. The vulnerability affects the core availability and reliability of the web application infrastructure, potentially causing cascading failures in dependent systems and services that rely on the affected Resin server.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes it as an uncontrolled resource consumption issue, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for resource hijacking and denial of service operations. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to Resin versions that address this vulnerability, implementing rate limiting and input validation controls at the network level, and configuring memory limits for web application processes. Network-level protections such as intrusion detection systems and web application firewalls can help detect and block malicious URL patterns before they reach the vulnerable server. Additionally, administrators should monitor system resource consumption patterns and establish automated alerts for unusual memory usage spikes that may indicate exploitation attempts. The most effective long-term solution involves upgrading to patched versions of Resin software that include proper bounds checking and resource management controls to prevent excessive memory allocation during URL parameter processing.