CVE-2004-0342 in wftpd
Summary
by MITRE
WFTPD Pro Server 3.21 Release 1, with the XeroxDocutech option enabled, allows local users to cause a denial of service (crash) via a (1) MKD or (2) XMKD command that causes an absolute path of 260 characters to be used, which overwrites a cookie with a null character, possibly due to an off-by-one error.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/20/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-0342 affects WFTPD Pro Server version 3.21 Release 1 when the XeroxDocutech option is enabled, representing a critical denial of service weakness that can be exploited by local attackers. This issue stems from improper input validation within the file system command processing mechanism, specifically when handling directory creation requests through MKD and XMKD commands. The vulnerability manifests when an absolute path exceeding 260 characters is submitted, triggering a buffer manipulation error that results in system instability and potential application crash.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-125, addressing out-of-bounds read errors. The flaw occurs due to an off-by-one error in the path handling routine where the system fails to properly validate the length of absolute paths before processing them. When a path of exactly 260 characters is provided, the system's internal buffer management becomes compromised, causing a null character to overwrite adjacent memory locations including cookie values that maintain application state. This memory corruption directly impacts the program's execution flow and results in an immediate system crash, effectively creating a denial of service condition.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to systems running WFTPD Pro Server with the XeroxDocutech option enabled, particularly in environments where local user access is possible. The local privilege escalation aspect means that any user with access to the system can exploit this weakness to disrupt services, potentially affecting legitimate users and system availability. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as the crash can potentially lead to data loss or corruption in the file system operations, depending on the timing and state of the application when the vulnerability is triggered. This vulnerability operates under the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and denial of service tactics, specifically mapping to T1068 for local privilege escalation and T1499 for endpoint denial of service.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of the WFTPD Pro Server to version 3.21 Release 2 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the buffer handling routines. System administrators should also implement access controls to limit local user privileges and monitor for unusual path length patterns in file system operations. Additional defensive measures include implementing input validation at the application level to reject paths exceeding safe character limits, typically well below the 260-character threshold that triggers this specific vulnerability. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect potential exploitation attempts, while regular security assessments should verify that no other similar buffer overflow conditions exist within the system's file handling components. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper buffer management and input validation in server applications, particularly those handling user-supplied path information, as these weaknesses can provide attackers with straightforward paths to system compromise and service disruption.