CVE-2002-2406 in LiteServe
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in HTTP server in LiteServe 2.0, 2.0.1 and 2.0.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (hang) via a large number of percent characters (%) in an HTTP GET request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/14/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-2406 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the HTTP server component of LiteServe versions 2.0, 2.0.1, and 2.0.2. This issue stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly handle excessive percent character sequences in HTTP GET requests, creating a condition where the application cannot safely process malformed input data. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-121 as a stack-based buffer overflow, which occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of a fixed-length buffer allocated on the stack, potentially leading to unpredictable behavior and system instability.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves crafting malicious HTTP GET requests containing an excessive number of percent characters, which the LiteServe server processes without proper bounds checking. When the server attempts to parse these malformed requests, it fails to validate the length of input data against predetermined buffer limits, causing the application to overwrite adjacent memory locations. This memory corruption typically results in application hang or crash, effectively rendering the HTTP server unavailable to legitimate users and creating a denial of service condition that aligns with the attack pattern described in the ATT&CK framework under T1499.004 for network denial of service.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the software's input handling architecture that could potentially be exploited for more sophisticated attacks. The buffer overflow condition creates opportunities for attackers to manipulate the execution flow of the application, though the specific exploitability for code execution remains limited in this particular case. Organizations relying on LiteServe for web hosting services face significant risks, as this vulnerability could be leveraged by malicious actors to disrupt business operations and potentially gain unauthorized access to system resources through cascading effects of the memory corruption.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-2406 should prioritize immediate patching of affected LiteServe versions to address the underlying buffer overflow vulnerability. System administrators should implement network-level restrictions to limit the number of percent characters allowed in HTTP requests and deploy intrusion detection systems that can identify and block suspicious request patterns. The implementation of proper input validation mechanisms, including length checking and character set restrictions, should be enforced at multiple layers of the application stack. Additionally, organizations should consider deploying web application firewalls that can filter out malformed requests before they reach the vulnerable server components, thereby reducing the attack surface and providing defense-in-depth measures that align with security best practices outlined in industry standards such as NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001 frameworks.