CVE-2004-1216 in Kreed
Summary
by MITRE
The scripts that handle players in Kreed 1.05 and earlier allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (server freeze) via a long (1) nickname or (2) model type, which generates dialog boxes on the server that must be manually handled before the server continues the game.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/26/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-1216 represents a classic denial of service weakness in the Kreed game server software version 1.05 and earlier. This issue stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the server's player handling scripts, specifically when processing player nicknames and model types. The flaw creates a condition where malicious actors can exploit the server's lack of proper boundary checking to trigger system resource exhaustion through crafted input sequences. The vulnerability operates by sending excessively long strings for nickname or model type parameters, which then generate dialog boxes on the server side that require manual intervention to resolve. This design flaw fundamentally undermines the server's ability to maintain continuous operation and can be exploited to cause complete service interruption.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses issues related to insufficient input validation, and CWE-400, which covers resource exhaustion conditions. The flaw demonstrates poor defensive programming practices where the server fails to implement proper input sanitization and length limitation mechanisms. When the server receives a malformed or excessively long nickname or model type, it attempts to process these inputs through dialog generation routines that are not designed to handle abnormal input lengths. This creates a cascading failure condition where the server becomes unresponsive due to the manual intervention requirements, effectively freezing the entire gaming session and rendering the service unavailable to legitimate users. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires no authentication or special privileges, making it accessible to any remote attacker with network access to the game server.
The operational impact of CVE-2004-1216 extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass broader system reliability and availability concerns for game servers. When exploited, the vulnerability can cause complete server freeze conditions that may last for extended periods until manual intervention occurs, potentially affecting multiple concurrent players and disrupting gameplay sessions. The requirement for manual handling of dialog boxes creates a significant operational burden on server administrators who must be present to resolve the issue, effectively creating a human bottleneck in the system's response capability. This vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of implementing robust input validation as part of the security-by-design principle, where systems should be capable of gracefully handling malformed inputs without requiring human intervention. The attack vector is particularly dangerous in multiplayer gaming environments where server stability directly impacts user experience and business operations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation at multiple layers of the server architecture. The primary solution involves establishing strict length limits for all user-provided input fields including nicknames and model types, with automatic rejection of inputs exceeding predefined thresholds. Server administrators should implement automated input sanitization routines that truncate or reject malformed inputs before they can trigger the dialog box generation process. Additionally, the system should be designed to handle input processing errors gracefully without requiring manual intervention, incorporating timeout mechanisms and automatic recovery procedures. The implementation should follow ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which addresses network disruption and service denial, by ensuring that the server maintains availability even when subjected to malicious input attempts. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other system components, and the server should be updated to versions that address this specific flaw. The solution must also consider the principle of least privilege and ensure that no single input field can cause system-wide failure conditions, thereby implementing defense in depth strategies to prevent similar vulnerabilities from compromising overall system integrity.