CVE-2004-1514 in 04webserver
Summary
by MITRE
04WebServer 1.42 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (fail to restart properly) via an HTTP request for an MS-DOS device name such as COM2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/19/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1514 affects 04WebServer version 1.42 and represents a denial of service weakness that stems from improper handling of specific HTTP requests containing MS-DOS device names. This flaw demonstrates a classic input validation failure where the web server fails to properly sanitize or reject requests containing reserved device names from the MS-DOS operating system. The affected server architecture does not adequately filter or process requests that reference device names such as COM2, which are typically reserved for hardware device access in legacy operating systems. This vulnerability falls under the broader category of improper input validation issues that have been consistently documented in security frameworks and represent a fundamental weakness in application security design.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the server's handling of file system paths and device name resolution. When 04WebServer receives an HTTP request containing an MS-DOS device name like COM2, the web server attempts to process this request through its file system handling mechanisms without proper sanitization. The server's internal path resolution logic likely interprets these device names as legitimate file paths or directory references, causing the system to attempt operations that fail gracefully or result in internal state corruption. This failure manifests as the web server's inability to properly restart or recover from the malformed request, leading to a denial of service condition that affects legitimate users and system availability. The vulnerability specifically targets the server's restart functionality, indicating that the internal state management is not resilient to malformed input that would typically be rejected by operating system level protections.
The operational impact of CVE-2004-1514 extends beyond simple service disruption as it represents a potential attack vector that could be exploited by malicious actors to maintain persistent availability issues against targeted web servers. This vulnerability directly impacts the server's reliability and uptime, potentially allowing attackers to repeatedly cause service interruptions that could be used as part of larger attack campaigns. The specific nature of the attack requires minimal technical expertise to execute, making it particularly dangerous as it could be leveraged by attackers with basic knowledge of web protocols and operating system conventions. From a security perspective, this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation at all layers of application architecture and highlights the risks associated with legacy web server implementations that may not have been designed with modern security considerations in mind. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-20, which covers "Improper Input Validation," and represents a clear example of how improper handling of system-reserved names can lead to operational failures.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of input filtering and sanitization measures within the 04WebServer configuration. Organizations should implement strict validation of all incoming HTTP requests to reject any that contain MS-DOS device names or similar reserved system identifiers before they can be processed by the web server's file system handlers. The recommended approach involves configuring the server to normalize all path references and explicitly reject any request containing device name patterns such as COM1 through COM9, LPT1 through LPT9, and other reserved MS-DOS device identifiers. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing network-level filtering rules that block requests containing these specific patterns at the perimeter. This vulnerability is particularly relevant to the ATT&CK framework's T1499 category related to Network Denial of Service, as it represents a method of causing service unavailability through carefully crafted network requests. The most effective remediation involves upgrading to a more recent version of the web server software that properly implements input validation, or applying specific patches that address the path handling logic to prevent these device names from being processed as valid path references.