CVE-2003-1126 in ONE Web Server
Summary
by MITRE
Unknown vulnerability in SunOne/iPlanet Web Server SP3 through SP5 on Windows platforms allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/16/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-1126 represents a critical security flaw within the SunOne/iPlanet Web Server version 3 through 5 running on Microsoft Windows platforms. This issue manifests as a remote denial of service condition that can be exploited by unauthorized attackers without requiring authentication or special privileges. The vulnerability affects a specific range of SunOne web server releases, namely Service Pack 3 through Service Pack 5, indicating that the flaw was present in multiple iterations of the software and likely persisted across several years of development. The affected Windows platforms suggest that this vulnerability specifically targets the Microsoft Windows operating system environment where the SunOne web server is deployed, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments that rely on this particular web server implementation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability lies in its ability to trigger a denial of service condition remotely, meaning that an attacker can cause the web server to become unresponsive or crash without direct physical access to the system. This type of vulnerability typically exploits weaknesses in the server's input validation, resource management, or error handling mechanisms. The fact that this vulnerability operates at the web server level suggests it may involve improper handling of HTTP requests, malformed data processing, or resource exhaustion scenarios that cause the server to become unavailable to legitimate users. Such vulnerabilities often stem from buffer overflows, improper memory management, or failure to properly validate incoming requests that could lead to server crashes or resource depletion.
The operational impact of CVE-2003-1126 extends beyond simple service disruption as it can severely affect business continuity and availability of web applications hosted on affected servers. Organizations relying on SunOne/iPlanet Web Server for critical web services may experience significant downtime, leading to revenue loss, customer dissatisfaction, and potential damage to brand reputation. The remote exploit capability means that attackers can target these systems from anywhere on the internet, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations with publicly accessible web servers. This type of denial of service vulnerability can be leveraged in various attack scenarios including distributed denial of service attacks where multiple compromised systems target vulnerable servers simultaneously, amplifying the impact of the initial vulnerability.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-119, which describes weaknesses in memory management and resource handling that can lead to denial of service conditions. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that it affects a widely deployed web server solution on Windows platforms, suggesting that numerous organizations may be exposed to this risk. The vulnerability's classification as a remote denial of service aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499, which covers network denial of service attacks that can be executed from remote locations. Organizations should prioritize patch management and security updates to address this vulnerability, as the window of exposure increases with the number of systems running vulnerable versions of the SunOne web server software. The remediation process should include immediate deployment of vendor-provided patches or updates, along with network segmentation and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and resource management practices can help reduce the attack surface and provide additional defense in depth against similar vulnerabilities that may exist in the web server software stack.