CVE-2005-1836 in NEXTWEB (i)Site
Summary
by MITRE
NEXTWEB (i)Site allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (error 500) via a crafted HTTP request, possibly involving wildcard requests for .jsp files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/25/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-1836 affects the NEXTWEB iSite content management system, specifically targeting its handling of HTTP requests. This issue represents a classic denial of service attack vector that exploits improper input validation mechanisms within the web application's request processing pipeline. The vulnerability manifests when the system receives specially crafted HTTP requests that trigger an internal server error, resulting in a 500 error response that effectively renders the service unavailable to legitimate users. The attack leverages wildcard pattern matching for .jsp files, suggesting that the application's request routing or file resolution logic does not adequately sanitize or validate incoming URI patterns before processing them.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient validation of HTTP request parameters, particularly those involving file path resolution and wildcard matching. When the iSite application encounters a malformed request containing wildcard characters in .jsp file references, it fails to properly handle the request within its processing logic, leading to an unhandled exception that generates the 500 internal server error. This behavior aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation as a fundamental weakness in software security design. The vulnerability exploits the application's lack of proper error handling and input sanitization, creating a condition where malicious actors can craft requests that cause the application server to crash or become unresponsive.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to web application availability and service continuity. The denial of service condition can be easily exploited by remote attackers without requiring authentication or privileged access, making it particularly dangerous in production environments. The 500 error response indicates that the application server is experiencing an internal failure rather than simply rejecting the request due to access control issues. This type of vulnerability can be leveraged for distributed denial of service attacks, where multiple malicious requests can overwhelm the application's error handling mechanisms and cause sustained service disruption. The impact extends beyond simple unavailability as it can affect business operations, user experience, and potentially lead to financial losses.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust input validation and error handling mechanisms within the iSite application. Organizations should ensure that all HTTP request parameters undergo strict validation before being processed, particularly those involving file path resolution and wildcard matching operations. The implementation of proper exception handling and graceful error recovery mechanisms can prevent the application from crashing when encountering malformed requests. Security measures should include configuring the web server to limit the scope of wildcard matching, implementing rate limiting for incoming requests, and establishing comprehensive logging and monitoring of suspicious request patterns. Additionally, applying security patches and updates to the NEXTWEB iSite software, as well as implementing network-level firewalls and intrusion detection systems, can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to established security frameworks that emphasize input validation and error handling as fundamental security controls. The attack pattern associated with this vulnerability aligns with techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under the service stoppage and resource exhaustion categories, highlighting the need for comprehensive defensive measures that address both application-level and network-level security concerns.