CVE-2004-0741 in WWW File Share Pro
Summary
by MITRE
LionMax Software WWW File Share Pro 2.60 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash or hang) via a long URL, possibly triggering a buffer overflow.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/07/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-0741 affects LionMax Software WWW File Share Pro version 2.60, a web-based file sharing application that enables users to access and manage files through a web interface. This particular flaw represents a classic buffer overflow vulnerability that manifests when the application processes excessively long Uniform Resource Locators. The vulnerability exists within the web server component of the software, which fails to properly validate input length before processing incoming HTTP requests containing malformed URLs.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking within the URL parsing routine of the web server daemon. When a remote attacker submits a specially crafted URL containing an abnormally long string of characters, the application's buffer management mechanism cannot accommodate the excessive input length, leading to memory corruption. This memory corruption typically occurs in the stack-based buffer allocated for URL processing, where the application attempts to copy the malformed URL data beyond the allocated memory boundaries. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-121 as a stack-based buffer overflow, which is a well-documented weakness in software development practices that has been consistently identified as a critical security risk across multiple security frameworks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as it can result in complete application crashes or system hangs that render the file sharing service unavailable to legitimate users. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious HTTP requests with URLs exceeding the buffer capacity, causing the web server process to terminate unexpectedly or enter an infinite loop state. The vulnerability affects the availability aspect of the CIA triad, as it directly compromises the system's ability to provide continuous service to authorized users. In a production environment, this could lead to significant business disruption, especially in scenarios where the file sharing service is critical to organizational operations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the affected software version, as the vendor has likely released a security update addressing this specific buffer overflow condition. Network administrators should implement input validation at the perimeter using web application firewalls or intrusion prevention systems that can detect and block unusually long URL patterns before they reach the vulnerable application. Additionally, implementing proper memory management practices within the application code, including bounds checking and input sanitization, would prevent such buffer overflow conditions. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service and T1595.001 for reconnaissance through information gathering, as attackers would likely first probe the system to identify the specific buffer overflow vulnerability before attempting exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing rate limiting and connection throttling mechanisms to prevent exploitation attempts and reduce the impact of successful attacks.