CVE-2004-1556 in MyWebServer
Summary
by MITRE
MyWebServer 1.0.3 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a large number of connections within a short time.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1556 affects MyWebServer version 1.0.3, a lightweight web server implementation that was widely used in embedded systems and small-scale deployments during the early 2000s. This particular flaw represents a classic resource exhaustion attack vector that exploits the server's inadequate connection handling mechanisms. The vulnerability manifests when an attacker establishes a large number of simultaneous connections to the web server within a very short time frame, causing the application to crash and become unavailable to legitimate users. This type of attack falls under the category of denial of service conditions that specifically target application stability rather than network infrastructure.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and connection management within the MyWebServer implementation. When multiple connection requests arrive in rapid succession, the server fails to properly manage its connection queue and resource allocation, leading to memory exhaustion or thread pool exhaustion. The server's architecture does not implement proper connection throttling or rate limiting mechanisms to prevent overwhelming the system with concurrent requests. This flaw aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes unchecked resource allocation as a common weakness in software systems where applications fail to properly manage resource consumption under stress conditions. The vulnerability demonstrates poor defensive programming practices and inadequate consideration of adversarial scenarios during the development lifecycle.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the availability of critical systems that rely on MyWebServer for their web presence. In embedded environments where these servers are commonly deployed, such as network appliances, IoT devices, or industrial control systems, a successful denial of service attack can result in complete system unavailability and may require physical intervention to restore service. The attack requires minimal resources from the attacker since it only involves establishing multiple connections rather than complex exploitation techniques, making it particularly dangerous for systems with limited computational resources. Organizations implementing MyWebServer 1.0.3 should consider this vulnerability as part of their broader security posture assessment, particularly in environments where availability is mission-critical.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-1556 should focus on implementing connection rate limiting and resource management controls at multiple levels of the network stack. Network-level protections can be implemented through firewall rules that limit the number of concurrent connections from a single source IP address, effectively preventing the rapid connection flooding that triggers the vulnerability. Additionally, system administrators should consider upgrading to newer versions of MyWebServer that have implemented proper connection handling and resource management features. The implementation of connection timeouts and proper resource cleanup mechanisms can help prevent the accumulation of stale connections that contribute to resource exhaustion. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the T1498 technique of network denial of service, where adversaries leverage application-level weaknesses to disrupt services. Organizations should also implement monitoring and alerting mechanisms to detect unusual connection patterns that may indicate an ongoing attack, enabling rapid response to prevent service disruption.