CVE-2004-2360 in Battle Mages
Summary
by MITRE
Targem Battle Mages 1.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop) via a UDP packet with incomplete data, which causes the server to enter an infinite loop while waiting to read the rest of the data that is not sent.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/12/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-2360 represents a classic denial of service flaw affecting the Targem Battle Mages 1.0 game server implementation. This issue stems from inadequate input validation and error handling mechanisms within the network protocol processing layer of the software. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the server receives a UDP packet containing incomplete data structures, creating a scenario where the application enters an infinite loop while attempting to read additional data that will never arrive.
From a technical perspective, the flaw operates at the application layer of the network stack, where the server process fails to properly handle malformed or incomplete UDP datagrams. When a remote attacker sends a UDP packet with insufficient data payload, the server's receiving routine becomes stuck in a continuous waiting state, attempting to read data that the attacker deliberately omitted. This behavior constitutes a fundamental failure in protocol state management and input validation, as the server lacks proper timeout mechanisms or data integrity checks to detect and recover from incomplete packet scenarios.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it represents a potential vector for sustained denial of service attacks against game servers. Attackers can repeatedly send these malformed packets to keep server processes occupied in infinite loops, effectively rendering the service unavailable to legitimate users. This type of vulnerability directly maps to CWE-835, which addresses the issue of infinite loops or infinite recursion in software implementations, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks.
The security implications of this vulnerability highlight the importance of implementing robust input validation and proper timeout mechanisms in networked applications. Servers processing UDP traffic must account for the inherent unreliability of the transport layer and implement safeguards against malformed data scenarios. The lack of proper error handling in the Targem Battle Mages implementation demonstrates a common oversight in game server development where security considerations are often secondary to functional requirements. Mitigation strategies should include implementing strict packet size validation, establishing reasonable timeouts for data reception, and incorporating proper error recovery mechanisms to prevent indefinite waiting states. Additionally, network-level filtering and rate limiting can provide defensive measures against such attacks while the application itself is being patched or updated to address the underlying protocol handling flaw.