CVE-2003-1270 in AN-HTTPd
Summary
by MITRE
AN HTTP 1.41e allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (borken pipe) via an HTTP request to aux.cgi with a long argument, possibly triggering a buffer overflow or MS-DOS device vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/16/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-1270 represents a critical denial of service weakness affecting HTTP 1.41e implementations, specifically targeting the aux.cgi component within web server software. This flaw operates through a carefully crafted HTTP request that exploits a buffer handling vulnerability in the auxiliary CGI script, creating conditions that can disrupt normal service operations and potentially lead to system instability. The vulnerability manifests when an attacker submits an HTTP request containing an excessively long argument to the aux.cgi endpoint, which triggers unexpected behavior in the application's memory management routines.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves improper input validation and buffer handling within the aux.cgi script, which fails to adequately check the length of incoming arguments before processing them. When a maliciously long argument is provided, the system attempts to allocate memory for processing the input, but due to insufficient bounds checking, the operation can overflow the allocated buffer space. This buffer overflow condition can cause the application to crash or become unresponsive, effectively creating a denial of service scenario. The vulnerability's classification as a broken pipe condition indicates that the system's ability to maintain proper connection states becomes compromised, leading to service disruption that affects legitimate users attempting to access the web server resources.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to web server availability and reliability, particularly in environments where continuous service uptime is critical. The attack vector is relatively simple to execute, requiring only a basic HTTP request with an extended parameter, making it accessible to attackers with minimal technical expertise. The potential for triggering buffer overflow conditions means that the impact extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially creating system instability that could be exploited for more severe consequences. Organizations running affected HTTP 1.41e implementations face the risk of service interruptions that could impact business operations and user access to web applications.
The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-121, which describes buffer overflow conditions in stack-based buffers, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation controls, parameter length restrictions, and access controls to prevent unauthorized exploitation of this vulnerability. The recommended approach involves updating to patched versions of the HTTP server software, implementing proper input sanitization measures, and configuring the system to reject requests with excessively long parameters. Additionally, network monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous request patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, while system administrators should establish incident response procedures to address potential service disruptions caused by this vulnerability.
This vulnerability exemplifies the importance of proper input validation and buffer management in web server implementations, highlighting how seemingly simple flaws can create significant operational risks. The combination of the broken pipe condition with potential buffer overflow capabilities creates a multi-faceted threat that requires comprehensive defensive measures beyond simple patching. Organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify similar patterns in their web server configurations and ensure that all components follow secure coding practices that prevent buffer overflows and input validation failures. The remediation process should include not only immediate patch deployment but also long-term security architecture improvements to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future implementations.