CVE-2002-2241 in Visnetic Website
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in httpd32.exe in Deerfield VisNetic WebSite before 3.5.15 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a long HTTP OPTIONS request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/20/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-2241 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw in the httpd32.exe component of Deerfield VisNetic WebSite version 3.5.14 and earlier. This issue manifests specifically when the web server processes HTTP OPTIONS requests that exceed normal parameter lengths, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers to disrupt service availability. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the web server's request handling mechanism, where the application fails to properly bounds-check the length of incoming HTTP OPTIONS method parameters before attempting to process them in memory buffers.
The technical implementation of this buffer overflow occurs at the application layer where the httpd32.exe process receives and processes HTTP requests without sufficient sanitization of user-supplied input. When an attacker crafts an HTTP OPTIONS request containing an excessive number of characters in the request line or headers, the web server's internal buffer allocation mechanisms become overwhelmed. This condition falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category of CWE-121, which specifically addresses stack-based buffer overflow vulnerabilities, though the actual implementation likely involves heap-based memory corruption due to the nature of web server processing. The flaw operates by writing more data into a fixed-length buffer than it can accommodate, causing adjacent memory locations to be overwritten and ultimately leading to application instability and process termination.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially compromise the entire web server infrastructure. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness to cause repeated crashes of the httpd32.exe process, resulting in sustained service disruption that affects all users accessing the affected web site. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require local system access or authentication credentials to trigger the condition, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where availability is critical. Network traffic analysis reveals that the attack vector requires only the ability to send HTTP requests to the target server, making this a low-effort, high-impact vulnerability that can be easily automated using standard network scanning tools or exploit frameworks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-2241 should prioritize immediate patching of the VisNetic WebSite software to version 3.5.15 or later, which contains the necessary code modifications to properly validate input lengths and prevent buffer overflows. System administrators should implement network-level restrictions to limit access to the web server's OPTIONS method, as this specific vulnerability is triggered exclusively through OPTIONS request processing. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the Tactic of Defense Evasion and the Technique of Command and Control through Protocol Analysis, as attackers may use this condition to establish persistent access by repeatedly crashing services and then re-establishing connections. Additional defensive measures include implementing intrusion detection systems that monitor for unusual HTTP OPTIONS request patterns, configuring web application firewalls to filter malformed requests, and establishing comprehensive monitoring protocols to detect service disruptions that may indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing application-level security controls that enforce strict input validation and implement proper error handling mechanisms to prevent similar buffer overflow conditions from occurring in other web server components or applications.