CVE-2005-1603 in Remote File Manager
Summary
by MITRE
NiteEnterprises Remote File Manager 1.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a crafted string to TCP port 7080.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/23/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-1603 affects NiteEnterprises Remote File Manager version 1.0, a network service designed to provide remote file management capabilities over TCP port 7080. This particular flaw represents a classic denial of service vulnerability that can be exploited by remote attackers without requiring authentication or privileged access. The vulnerability manifests when the service receives a specially crafted string input that triggers an improper handling of the data, leading to a service crash and subsequent unavailability for legitimate users. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it can be executed from any remote location without the need for prior access credentials, making it a significant threat to system availability.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and error handling within the Remote File Manager service implementation. When the service processes the malformed string sent to TCP port 7080, it fails to properly sanitize or validate the incoming data, resulting in an unhandled exception or buffer overflow condition that causes the application to terminate unexpectedly. This type of vulnerability falls under the broader category of improper input validation issues that are commonly classified as CWE-20 - Improper Input Validation, which is a fundamental weakness in software design that allows malicious inputs to disrupt normal application behavior. The service architecture appears to lack robust exception handling mechanisms that would otherwise prevent such crashes from occurring during normal operation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can be leveraged to create sustained availability issues for systems running the affected software. Remote attackers can repeatedly exploit this vulnerability to maintain service unavailability, potentially causing business disruption and loss of productivity for organizations relying on the remote file management capabilities. The vulnerability also demonstrates a lack of proper security hardening in the network service implementation, as the service does not implement adequate protection mechanisms against malformed inputs or malicious payloads. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 - Endpoint Denial of Service, where adversaries target network services to make them unavailable to legitimate users, and the specific port targeting indicates a focused approach to service disruption.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigation strategies including network segmentation to restrict access to TCP port 7080, deployment of intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts, and implementation of input validation controls at network boundaries. The most effective long-term solution involves patching or upgrading to a newer version of the Remote File Manager software that addresses the input validation flaws. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing rate limiting and connection throttling mechanisms to reduce the impact of potential exploitation attempts. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual traffic patterns on port 7080 and implementation of automated response procedures to isolate affected systems. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of conducting regular security assessments of network services and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that include both perimeter security controls and internal application-level protections to prevent similar issues from occurring in other services within the organization's infrastructure.