CVE-2004-0466 in Webconnect
Summary
by MITRE
WebConnect 6.5, 6.4.4, and possibly earlier versions allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (hang) via a URL containing an MS-DOS device name such as (1) AUX, (2) CON, (3) PRN, (4) COM1, or (5) LPT1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/19/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-0466 represents a classic denial of service flaw in web server software, specifically affecting WebConnect versions 6.5, 6.4.4, and potentially earlier releases. This issue stems from the software's inadequate handling of Microsoft DOS device names within URL parsing mechanisms, creating a condition where specially crafted requests can trigger system instability. The affected device names include fundamental DOS constructs such as AUX, CON, PRN, COM1, and LPT1, which were originally designed for hardware device communication in early operating systems but have been exploited in this context to disrupt service availability.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a remote attacker crafts a URL containing one of the specified MS-DOS device names and submits it to the vulnerable WebConnect server. The server's URL processing routine fails to properly validate or sanitize these device names, causing the system to attempt operations that result in indefinite hanging or system freeze. This behavior represents a failure in input validation and resource management, where the software does not adequately distinguish between legitimate web content and potentially malicious device name sequences that can cause the application to enter an unrecoverable state. The flaw operates at the application layer, specifically within the web server's request handling and parsing components, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through standard web browsing activities without requiring special privileges or authentication.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant availability concerns for systems running affected WebConnect versions, as successful exploitation results in complete service disruption that can persist until manual intervention or system restart occurs. The nature of the attack makes it particularly difficult to mitigate through traditional network security measures since it appears as legitimate web traffic, and the denial of service effect can be sustained for extended periods. Organizations relying on these vulnerable systems face potential business disruption, customer access issues, and increased operational overhead from having to monitor for and respond to such attacks. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input sanitization and the potential for legacy system components to introduce security weaknesses in modern web environments.
The underlying technical weakness aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and represents a form of resource exhaustion attack that can be classified under the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and denial of service tactics. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying available patches or updates from the vendor, implementing URL filtering mechanisms to block known problematic device names, and configuring web application firewalls to detect and prevent such requests. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect unusual system behavior patterns indicative of this specific denial of service condition, as well as establishing incident response procedures to quickly address exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of input validation and proper resource management in web applications, particularly when dealing with legacy system components that may not have been designed with modern security considerations in mind.