CVE-2004-2517 in myServer
Summary
by MITRE
myServer 0.7.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a long HTTP POST request in a View=Logon operation to index.html.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/26/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-2517 affects myServer version 0.7.1, a web server implementation that exposes a critical buffer overflow condition during HTTP POST request processing. This flaw specifically manifests when the server encounters a malformed HTTP POST request directed toward the index.html file with a View=Logon operation parameter. The vulnerability represents a classic stack-based buffer overflow scenario where insufficient input validation allows attackers to craft malicious requests that exceed the allocated buffer space, ultimately leading to application instability and system crash.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability leverages the server's inadequate boundary checking mechanisms during HTTP request parsing. When the myServer component processes the View=Logon parameter within the index.html context, it fails to properly validate the length of incoming POST data, particularly the Content-Length header and subsequent request body content. This oversight creates a condition where an attacker can submit a POST request containing an excessive amount of data that overflows the predetermined buffer allocated for processing the logon operation, causing the application to terminate unexpectedly.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to system availability and service integrity. The remote denial of service condition can be exploited by any attacker with network access to the vulnerable server, requiring no authentication or specialized privileges. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as the crash may result in loss of ongoing connections, potential data corruption, and complete service unavailability until manual intervention or system restart occurs. Organizations relying on myServer for web content delivery face substantial operational risks, particularly in mission-critical environments where continuous availability is paramount.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with the ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks. This classification indicates that the vulnerability operates at the application layer, targeting the web server's request handling capabilities rather than underlying network protocols. The attack surface is relatively narrow, focusing specifically on the View=Logon parameter processing within the index.html handler, yet the impact remains severe due to the complete service disruption it causes.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of the myServer software to version 0.7.2 or later, which includes proper input validation and buffer length checking mechanisms. Network administrators should implement rate limiting and connection throttling measures to reduce the effectiveness of potential automated exploitation attempts. Additionally, deploying intrusion detection systems capable of identifying malformed HTTP POST requests with excessive content lengths can provide early warning of exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can filter out suspicious request patterns and enforce proper HTTP protocol compliance to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in other applications.