CVE-2002-2430 in WebServer
Summary
by MITRE
GoAhead WebServer before 2.1.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) by performing a socket disconnect to terminate a request before it has been fully processed by the server.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-2430 represents a significant denial of service flaw in the GoAhead WebServer version 2.1.0 and earlier. This issue stems from the server's improper handling of socket connections during HTTP request processing, creating a condition where remote attackers can exploit the system's resource management mechanisms. The vulnerability specifically targets the server's inability to gracefully handle premature connection termination, leading to excessive cpu consumption and potential system instability.
The technical flaw manifests when an attacker establishes a connection to the web server and initiates an HTTP request but then abruptly terminates the socket connection before the server has completed processing the request. The GoAhead WebServer, in its vulnerable versions, fails to properly clean up resources associated with partially processed requests, causing the server to continue consuming cpu cycles in attempting to handle the incomplete transaction. This behavior creates a resource exhaustion condition where the server's cpu utilization spikes significantly, effectively denying legitimate users access to the service. The vulnerability operates at the network protocol level and demonstrates poor error handling in the web server's connection management subsystem.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise system availability and performance. Attackers can leverage this weakness to launch sustained denial of service attacks that consume significant computational resources, making it difficult for legitimate users to access web services hosted on affected systems. The vulnerability affects systems where GoAhead WebServer is deployed as a web server solution, particularly in environments where resource constraints are already tight. Organizations may experience cascading effects as the server becomes unresponsive, potentially affecting other applications or services that depend on the affected system's availability. The issue also highlights the importance of proper resource cleanup and connection handling in web server implementations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-2430 should focus on immediate patching of affected GoAhead WebServer installations to version 2.1.1 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for proper connection termination handling. Network administrators should implement connection rate limiting and monitoring to detect unusual cpu consumption patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing firewall rules that restrict access to the web server and deploy intrusion detection systems capable of identifying suspicious connection patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses improper handling of resource exhaustion conditions in software systems. From an operational security perspective, this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper error handling and resource management in server applications, as outlined in various cybersecurity frameworks including those referenced in the ATT&CK framework's system and network compromise tactics. Organizations should also consider implementing automated monitoring solutions that can detect and respond to abnormal cpu utilization patterns that may indicate exploitation of similar resource exhaustion vulnerabilities.