CVE-2002-1992 in ColdFusion
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in jrun.dll in ColdFusion MX, when used with IIS 4 or 5, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service in IIS via (1) a long template file name or (2) a long HTTP header.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/19/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1992 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the jrun.dll component of Adobe ColdFusion MX when integrated with Microsoft Internet Information Services versions 4 and 5. This issue stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly handle excessively long string inputs, creating exploitable conditions that can be leveraged by remote attackers to disrupt service availability. The vulnerability specifically affects the communication channel between ColdFusion's Java runtime engine and IIS web server, where the jrun.dll acts as a bridge for processing ColdFusion requests through the web server interface.
The technical implementation of this buffer overflow occurs when the jrun.dll component processes template file names or HTTP headers that exceed predetermined memory allocation limits. When attackers submit malformed requests containing excessively long template paths or HTTP header values, the vulnerable code fails to perform proper bounds checking before copying data into fixed-length memory buffers. This results in memory corruption that can lead to application crashes or system instability. The vulnerability manifests through two primary attack vectors: the first involves submitting an overly long template file name that exceeds the buffer capacity, while the second targets HTTP header fields that can be manipulated to trigger the same memory corruption behavior. Both attack scenarios exploit the fundamental weakness in input sanitization and memory management practices within the ColdFusion IIS integration module.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, potentially creating opportunities for more sophisticated attacks that could compromise the entire web server infrastructure. When successfully exploited, the buffer overflow can cause the IIS service to crash repeatedly, resulting in complete service unavailability for legitimate users while also potentially exposing underlying system vulnerabilities that could be leveraged for further exploitation. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires no authentication or specialized privileges, making it accessible to any remote attacker who can send HTTP requests to the vulnerable ColdFusion application. This characteristic aligns with attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the 'Initial Access' and 'Execution' phases, where adversaries can establish footholds through unpatched web applications. The vulnerability also demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-121, which describes 'Stack-based Buffer Overflow' conditions that occur when insufficient bounds checking allows data to overflow into adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting program execution flow and system stability.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the vendor-provided security patches, configuring input validation controls at the web server level, and implementing network-based restrictions to limit access to vulnerable endpoints. The recommended approach involves upgrading to patched versions of ColdFusion MX that address the buffer overflow conditions in jrun.dll, while also implementing proper input sanitization measures that enforce length limitations on template file names and HTTP header values. Additionally, network segmentation and access control measures should be deployed to limit exposure of vulnerable systems, and monitoring should be implemented to detect anomalous requests that may indicate attempted exploitation. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches for web application servers and demonstrates how integration points between different software components can create unexpected attack surfaces that require careful security assessment and validation.