CVE-2004-0110 in libxml2
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the (1) nanohttp or (2) nanoftp modules in XMLSoft Libxml 2 (Libxml2) 2.6.0 through 2.6.5 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a long URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/16/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-0110 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw affecting the nanohttp and nanoftp modules within XMLSoft Libxml2 version 2.6.0 through 2.6.5. This security weakness resides in the fundamental network communication handling mechanisms of the library, specifically within the HTTP and FTP protocol implementations that are part of the broader libxml2 software suite. The affected modules process URLs and network requests through a vulnerable buffer management system that fails to properly validate input lengths before copying data into fixed-size memory buffers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking within the URL parsing and processing functions of the nanohttp and nanoftp components. When a remote attacker submits a malformed URL containing excessive data length, the vulnerable code attempts to copy this input into a predetermined buffer size without proper validation of the source data length. This classic buffer overflow condition occurs because the implementation does not account for the possibility that incoming URL data may exceed the allocated buffer capacity, leading to memory corruption that can be exploited to overwrite adjacent memory locations including return addresses and executable code segments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple denial of service conditions, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary code on systems running vulnerable versions of libxml2. This remote code execution vulnerability can be leveraged by attackers to gain complete control over affected systems, potentially leading to data compromise, system infiltration, and broader network compromise. The vulnerability affects any application that utilizes the affected libxml2 modules for processing HTTP or FTP requests, making it particularly dangerous in web applications, content management systems, and any software that handles external URL inputs.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190 for exploitation of vulnerabilities in remote services. The attack surface is particularly broad given that libxml2 was widely used across numerous applications and operating systems during the affected time period, including various web servers, database systems, and application frameworks that relied on XML parsing capabilities. Organizations running vulnerable versions faced significant risk of exploitation through automated scanning tools that could identify and exploit this condition without requiring special privileges or complex attack vectors.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected systems to upgrade to libxml2 versions 2.6.6 or later, which contain the necessary buffer overflow protections and input validation fixes. System administrators should also implement network segmentation and firewall rules to limit access to services that utilize vulnerable libxml2 components, particularly those that process external URL inputs. Additionally, applications should be reviewed for proper input validation and error handling practices, with defensive programming techniques such as stack canaries and address space layout randomization being implemented to provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts.