CVE-2004-1053 in ZoneAlarm
Summary
by MITRE
Integer overflow in fetch on FreeBSD 4.1 through 5.3 allows remote malicious servers to execute arbitrary code via certain HTTP headers in an HTTP response, which lead to a buffer overflow.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/30/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-1053 represents a critical integer overflow condition affecting the fetch utility on FreeBSD systems running versions 4.1 through 5.3. This flaw resides in the HTTP header processing mechanism of the fetch command, which is commonly used for retrieving files from web servers. The issue manifests when fetch encounters certain malformed HTTP headers in server responses, specifically those that contain oversized content length values that exceed the maximum representable integer value. This integer overflow condition occurs during the calculation of buffer sizes needed to store incoming data, creating a scenario where the application allocates insufficient memory for the actual data being received.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a well-defined attack pattern that aligns with the CWE-190 weakness category for integer overflow and the CWE-121 category for stack-based buffer overflow. When a malicious HTTP server sends a response containing oversized Content-Length headers or other numeric fields that trigger integer overflow, the fetch utility calculates a buffer size that is significantly smaller than the actual data payload. This discrepancy creates a buffer overflow condition where subsequent data writes exceed the allocated memory boundaries, potentially overwriting adjacent memory regions including return addresses and control data. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a code injection technique under the T1059.007 sub-technique for command and script injection, as the overflow can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the fetch process.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as it provides attackers with a pathway to achieve remote code execution on affected systems. Since fetch is a widely used utility for downloading files from web resources, attackers can craft malicious HTTP responses that exploit this vulnerability when users or automated processes invoke fetch to retrieve content. The vulnerability affects systems where fetch is used in network operations, potentially compromising servers, workstations, or any environment where this utility processes untrusted HTTP responses. The integer overflow specifically impacts the memory allocation calculations for HTTP response handling, making the exploitation relatively straightforward for attackers who can control HTTP server responses.
System administrators and security professionals should prioritize patching affected FreeBSD systems immediately, as the vulnerability has been widely documented and exploited in the wild. The recommended mitigation strategy involves updating to FreeBSD versions 5.4 or later, where the integer overflow handling has been corrected through proper bounds checking and overflow detection mechanisms. Additionally, organizations should implement network-level controls to restrict access to potentially malicious HTTP servers and consider deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious HTTP header patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and integer overflow protection in network utilities, aligning with security best practices outlined in the CERT/CC secure coding guidelines and emphasizing the need for robust memory management in network applications. Organizations should also review their use of fetch and similar utilities to ensure that they are not processing untrusted HTTP content without proper sanitization and validation measures.