CVE-2005-0847 in FTP server
Summary
by MITRE
Code Ocean FTP server 1.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a large number of connections.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/16/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0847 affects the Code Ocean FTP server version 1.0, representing a classic denial of service flaw that exploits connection handling mechanisms. This vulnerability falls under the category of resource exhaustion attacks where malicious actors can overwhelm the server by establishing an excessive number of concurrent connections, leading to system instability and service unavailability. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental weakness in the server's connection management and resource allocation logic, where proper connection limits and rate limiting mechanisms are either absent or insufficiently implemented.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the server's inability to effectively manage and terminate connection requests beyond acceptable thresholds. When numerous connections are established simultaneously, the FTP server's memory allocation and processing capabilities become saturated, causing the system to freeze or crash entirely. This behavior aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes resource exhaustion vulnerabilities as a critical weakness in software systems. The attack vector is particularly effective because it requires minimal technical expertise to execute, making it a preferred method for attackers seeking to disrupt services without sophisticated exploitation techniques.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant business disruption as organizations relying on the Code Ocean FTP server face potential service outages that can affect legitimate users and business operations. The denial of service condition can persist until manual intervention occurs, requiring system administrators to restart the server services or manually terminate connections. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where FTP services are critical for data transfer operations, such as file sharing platforms, content distribution networks, or enterprise file servers that depend on stable FTP connectivity for their operations.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing connection rate limiting and maximum connection thresholds within the server configuration. Network administrators should configure the FTP server to limit concurrent connections to reasonable levels based on system capacity and expected usage patterns. Additionally, implementing network-level firewalls and intrusion detection systems can help monitor and block suspicious connection patterns that exceed normal operational parameters. The solution aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which addresses network denial of service attacks through proper resource management and access control measures. Organizations should also consider deploying more robust FTP server implementations that include built-in protection mechanisms against connection flooding attacks, as well as regular security audits to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in their infrastructure components.