CVE-2003-0412 in One Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
Sun ONE Application Server 7.0 for Windows 2000/XP does not log the complete URI of a long HTTP request, which could allow remote attackers to hide malicious activities.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/03/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-0412 affects Sun ONE Application Server version 7.0 specifically on Windows 2000 and XP operating systems. This security flaw represents a significant logging deficiency that impacts the server's ability to properly record and monitor HTTP request information. The issue stems from the application server's logging mechanism failing to capture complete Uniform Resource Identifiers for extended HTTP requests, creating potential blind spots in security monitoring and forensic analysis capabilities.
This technical flaw manifests as a partial URI logging limitation where the server truncates or omits portions of lengthy HTTP request paths when generating audit logs. The vulnerability creates a condition where malicious actors can exploit this logging gap to obscure their activities within the application server environment. Attackers could craft long URI requests that would be partially logged, making it difficult for security personnel to detect and analyze suspicious activities. The incomplete logging behavior directly violates fundamental security principles of comprehensive audit trail maintenance and can be classified under CWE-778 which addresses insufficient logging issues.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple logging inadequacy to create substantial security risks for organizations relying on Sun ONE Application Server 7.0 for their web application infrastructure. When security teams attempt to investigate suspicious activities or perform compliance audits, the incomplete URI logging creates gaps in their ability to reconstruct attack scenarios or identify malicious patterns. This weakness can be leveraged by attackers to conduct prolonged surveillance or execute multi-stage attacks without leaving clear traces in the server logs. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where detailed monitoring and logging are critical for maintaining security posture and regulatory compliance.
Organizations utilizing this vulnerable application server should implement immediate mitigations including enhanced monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous request patterns, configuration adjustments to increase log verbosity, and deployment of additional security controls such as web application firewalls to compensate for the logging deficiencies. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under defensive evasion techniques where adversaries attempt to avoid detection through log manipulation or truncation. Security professionals should consider implementing log aggregation and analysis tools that can correlate partial URI information with other network traffic patterns to identify potential malicious activities. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should include verification of logging completeness to ensure that such vulnerabilities are not present in the organization's broader infrastructure.