CVE-2005-3033 in vxWeb
Summary
by MITRE
Stack-based buffer overflow in vxWeb 1.1.4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a long HTTP GET request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/12/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-3033 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow flaw within vxWeb version 1.1.4, a web server application that was widely deployed in enterprise environments during the mid-2000s. This vulnerability resides in the handling of HTTP GET requests, specifically when the application processes excessively long URI parameters without proper bounds checking. The flaw occurs within the application's memory management routines where incoming request data is copied into fixed-size stack buffers without validation of input length, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers to manipulate program execution flow.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic stack-based buffer overflow pattern where an attacker crafts a malicious HTTP GET request containing an abnormally long string of characters in the URI portion. When vxWeb processes this malformed request, the application fails to validate the length of the incoming data against the allocated buffer size, causing the excess data to overwrite adjacent memory locations on the stack. This memory corruption can result in immediate application crash or, in more sophisticated exploitation scenarios, allow remote code execution through precise buffer overflow manipulation. The vulnerability specifically affects the application's request parsing functionality and falls under the CWE-121 category of stack-based buffer overflow conditions.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to organizations utilizing vxWeb 1.1.4 as their web server solution, as it enables remote attackers to either cause service disruption through denial of service or potentially gain unauthorized system access. The remote nature of the exploit means that attackers do not require physical access to the target system or local network presence to exploit the vulnerability. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the web server process, potentially leading to complete system compromise. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190 for exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications and represents a common attack vector that was prevalent during the early 2000s era of web server deployments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-3033 should prioritize immediate patching of affected vxWeb installations to version 1.1.5 or later, which contains the necessary memory validation fixes. Organizations should implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls and intrusion prevention systems that can detect and block malformed HTTP GET requests containing suspiciously long URI parameters. Additionally, security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their web server infrastructure to identify all instances of vxWeb and other vulnerable applications. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of web servers to untrusted networks, while application-level input validation should be enhanced to prevent similar vulnerabilities in custom web applications. The remediation process should also include monitoring for exploitation attempts and establishing incident response procedures to handle potential compromise scenarios, as this vulnerability represents a common target for automated exploitation tools prevalent during that era of cybersecurity threats.