CVE-2004-2316 in AppWeb HTTP Server
Summary
by MITRE
Mbedthis AppWeb HTTP server before 1.0.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a GET request containing an MS-DOS device name such as COM1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/23/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-2316 represents a classic input validation flaw in the Mbedthis AppWeb HTTP server version 1.0.1 and earlier. This issue stems from the server's inadequate handling of specially crafted HTTP GET requests that contain Microsoft DOS device names such as COM1. The flaw occurs at the application layer where the server fails to properly sanitize or validate incoming request parameters before processing them. When the server encounters a request containing these device names, it attempts to interpret them as file paths or resource identifiers, leading to a critical system crash or denial of service condition. The vulnerability specifically targets the server's file system interaction mechanisms and demonstrates a fundamental lack of proper input filtering for potentially dangerous characters and sequences.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability operates under CWE-20, which categorizes it as a weakness involving improper input validation. The flaw manifests when the HTTP server processes a GET request containing MS-DOS device names like COM1, LPT1, or other reserved device names that have special meanings in the Windows operating system. These device names are typically used by the operating system for hardware device communication and are not meant to be treated as regular file paths. The server's failure to recognize these as special device names results in improper path resolution attempts that can cause the application to crash or enter an unstable state. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK framework category of privilege escalation and denial of service through malformed input handling.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for any organization relying on the affected Mbedthis AppWeb server version. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness to repeatedly crash the web server, resulting in complete service disruption for legitimate users. The simplicity of the attack vector makes it particularly dangerous as attackers need only send a single malformed GET request to trigger the denial of service condition. This vulnerability essentially provides an easy path for attackers to perform low-cost disruption attacks against web applications hosted on affected servers. The crash condition can be persistent, requiring manual server restarts and potentially causing extended downtime that affects business operations and user access to web services.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to Mbedthis AppWeb version 1.0.2 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this input validation issue. Additionally, implementing network-level filters to block requests containing known MS-DOS device names can serve as a temporary mitigation strategy while the upgrade is being deployed. System administrators should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify and alert on suspicious GET requests containing device name patterns. The vulnerability highlights the importance of robust input validation and proper sanitization of all user-provided data in web applications. Security monitoring should include checks for unusual server crash patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts, and regular security assessments should verify that all web server components are properly updated and configured to prevent similar issues.