CVE-2004-1858 in Web JetAdmin
Summary
by MITRE
HP Web Jetadmin 7.5.2546 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a malformed request, possibly due to a stricmp() error from an invalid use of the "$" character.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/17/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1858 affects HP Web Jetadmin version 7.5.2546, a network management application designed for managing HP printing devices. This flaw represents a classic buffer overflow or string handling vulnerability that can be exploited remotely to disrupt service availability. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the application's handling of network requests, specifically when processing strings containing special characters. The issue manifests as a denial of service condition that can cause the application to crash and cease operations, effectively preventing legitimate users from accessing the printing management functionality.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper use of the stricmp() function, which is a case-insensitive string comparison function commonly found in C programming environments. When the application receives a malformed request containing the "$" character, the stricmp() function fails to properly handle the input, leading to memory corruption or stack overflow conditions. This type of vulnerability falls under the broader category of improper input validation, which is classified as CWE-20 in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. The vulnerability demonstrates a lack of proper bounds checking and input sanitization, allowing malicious actors to craft requests that exploit the application's string handling routines.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on HP Web Jetadmin for their printing infrastructure management. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers can trigger the denial of service condition without requiring physical access to the system or authentication credentials. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited from anywhere on the network, potentially causing widespread disruption to printing services across an organization. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption, as printing operations are often critical for business processes, making this vulnerability a potential business continuity threat. The vulnerability's classification aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks that target application availability.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to the latest version of HP Web Jetadmin where the vulnerability has been patched, applying network segmentation to limit access to the application, and implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for malformed requests. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of proper input validation and the potential consequences of inadequate string handling in network applications. System administrators should also consider disabling unnecessary network services and implementing proper access controls to reduce the attack surface. Regular vulnerability assessments and security audits should be conducted to identify similar issues in other network management applications that may be susceptible to similar string handling flaws.