CVE-2004-1815 in One Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
Unknown vulnerability in ColdFusion MX 6.0 and 6.1, and JRun 4.0, when a SOAP web service expects an array of objects as an argument, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/08/2019
This vulnerability exists within Adobe ColdFusion MX 6.0 and 6.1 applications and JRun 4.0 web servers when processing SOAP web services that accept array of objects as input parameters. The flaw manifests as a denial of service condition where remote attackers can manipulate the service to consume excessive memory resources. The vulnerability specifically targets the deserialization process of SOAP messages containing complex object arrays, creating a scenario where malformed or specially crafted requests can trigger uncontrolled memory allocation patterns. This represents a classic memory exhaustion attack vector that can be exploited without requiring authentication or specialized privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the SOAP processing framework. When the web service receives a request containing an array of objects, the underlying processing engine fails to properly validate the size and structure of the array elements, leading to unbounded memory consumption. The flaw operates at the application layer and can be classified under CWE-400 as unspecified vulnerability in resource management. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be triggered through standard web service calls without requiring any privileged access, making it an attractive target for denial of service attacks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability can severely impact service availability and system stability. Attackers can repeatedly submit malicious SOAP requests that cause the application server to allocate increasing amounts of memory until system resources are exhausted, resulting in application crashes or complete system unavailability. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as it can affect other applications running on the same server instance due to shared memory resources. The vulnerability affects both ColdFusion MX 6.0 and 6.1 versions as well as JRun 4.0, indicating a widespread issue within the Adobe application server ecosystem and potentially affecting numerous enterprise deployments that rely on SOAP-based web services.
The attack pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service and can be categorized under the broader category of resource exhaustion attacks. Organizations should implement proper input validation controls, set reasonable limits on array sizes, and configure memory thresholds to detect and prevent excessive resource consumption. Mitigation strategies include applying vendor patches, implementing rate limiting on web service endpoints, and monitoring memory usage patterns for anomalous behavior. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious SOAP request patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of proper input validation and resource management in web service implementations, particularly when handling complex data structures such as arrays of objects.