CVE-2004-0610 in FVS318
Summary
by MITRE
The Web administration interface in Microsoft MN-500 Wireless Router allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (connection refusal) via a large number of open HTTP connections.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2004
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-0610 affects the web administration interface of Microsoft MN-500 Wireless Router, representing a classic denial of service flaw that exploits connection handling mechanisms within the device's HTTP server implementation. This vulnerability manifests when remote attackers flood the router with an excessive number of simultaneous HTTP connections, ultimately leading to connection refusal and complete service disruption for legitimate users attempting to access the administrative interface. The flaw demonstrates poor resource management and inadequate connection limiting mechanisms within the router's web server component, creating a scenario where the device becomes unresponsive to genuine administrative requests. The vulnerability operates at the application layer of the network stack, specifically targeting the HTTP protocol implementation that serves the web-based configuration interface.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability stems from insufficient connection handling and resource allocation within the router's embedded web server software. The Microsoft MN-500 Wireless Router fails to properly implement connection limits or connection pooling mechanisms, allowing an attacker to establish numerous concurrent HTTP sessions without proper rate limiting or resource exhaustion protection. This flaw aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes unchecked resource allocation as a vulnerability where systems fail to properly manage resource consumption, leading to resource exhaustion and service disruption. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics of a resource exhaustion attack pattern where the attacker consumes available system resources through legitimate protocol usage, effectively creating a denial of service condition.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it fundamentally compromises the router's administrative accessibility and network management capabilities. When exploited successfully, the vulnerability renders the router's web administration interface completely inaccessible, forcing network administrators to physically access the device or reboot the router to restore functionality. This creates significant operational challenges for network management, as legitimate users cannot perform routine configuration changes, monitor network status, or implement security updates during an attack. The vulnerability also impacts network availability and reliability, as the router's inability to respond to administrative requests can cascade into broader network service degradation. The attack vector requires minimal technical expertise, making it particularly dangerous as it can be executed by attackers with basic networking knowledge, and the impact affects both local and remote administrative access to the device.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing connection rate limiting, establishing proper resource allocation limits, and deploying network monitoring solutions to detect unusual connection patterns. Network administrators should consider implementing firewall rules to limit concurrent connections to the router's web interface, while also ensuring that the router firmware is updated to the latest available version that addresses this specific flaw. The vulnerability highlights the importance of implementing proper access controls and authentication mechanisms, as well as establishing network segmentation to limit the impact of such attacks. Organizations should also implement monitoring solutions that can detect and alert on unusual connection patterns or excessive concurrent connection attempts, enabling rapid response to potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical need for robust resource management in embedded systems and network devices, particularly those exposed to external network traffic, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks.