CVE-2004-2534 in NETFile Server
Summary
by MITRE
Fastream NETFile Server 7.1.2 does not properly handle keep-alive connection timeouts and does not close the connection after a HEAD request, which allows remote attackers to perform a denial of service (connection consumption) by sending a large number HTTP HEAD requests.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-2534 affects Fastream NETFile Server version 7.1.2 and represents a significant denial of service weakness in the server's HTTP protocol handling. This issue stems from improper management of keep-alive connection timeouts and failure to properly terminate connections following HEAD requests. The flaw creates a persistent state where connections remain active in the server's connection pool even after the initial request has been processed, leading to gradual exhaustion of available connection slots. The vulnerability operates at the application layer of the network stack, specifically within the HTTP server implementation that handles incoming client requests.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the server's inadequate connection state management during the HTTP keep-alive mechanism. When a client sends a HEAD request to the server, the proper HTTP protocol behavior requires that the server process the request and then close the connection or maintain it appropriately for subsequent requests. However, Fastream NETFile Server 7.1.2 fails to properly close connections after HEAD requests, causing connections to remain in a lingering state. This behavior violates the fundamental principles of HTTP connection management as defined in RFC 2616, which specifies that servers should properly terminate connections when appropriate. The flaw is categorized under CWE-400 as an Uncontrolled Resource Consumption vulnerability, specifically manifesting as a resource leak in connection handling.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and directly affects the availability of the affected server. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness by repeatedly sending large numbers of HTTP HEAD requests to the server, each maintaining an active connection in the server's connection pool. As the number of active connections grows, the server gradually consumes all available connection slots, eventually leading to a complete denial of service condition where legitimate users cannot establish new connections to the server. This type of attack is particularly effective because HEAD requests are lightweight and do not require significant server processing resources, making it possible to consume connection resources rapidly with minimal bandwidth usage. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for Network Denial of Service, as it specifically targets the availability of network services through connection exhaustion.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on both immediate server configuration changes and long-term architectural improvements. The most effective immediate solution involves configuring the server to enforce stricter connection timeout limits and ensure proper connection closure after HEAD requests. Administrators should implement connection pooling limits and set aggressive timeout values to prevent the accumulation of stale connections. Additionally, implementing rate limiting mechanisms at the network level can help detect and block excessive HEAD request patterns. The server should be updated to a patched version that properly implements HTTP protocol compliance, ensuring that connections are correctly managed according to RFC 2616 standards. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for unusual patterns of HEAD requests that may indicate exploitation attempts, as this vulnerability can be easily automated and represents a common attack vector for service disruption.