CVE-2005-4360 in IIS
Summary
by MITRE
The URL parser in Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) 5.1 on Windows XP Professional SP2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via multiple requests to ".dll" followed by arguments such as "~0" through "~9", which causes ntdll.dll to produce a return value that is not correctly handled by IIS, as demonstrated using "/_vti_bin/.dll/*/~0". NOTE: the consequence was originally believed to be only a denial of service (application crash and reboot).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/28/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-4360 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the URL parsing mechanism of Microsoft Internet Information Services version 5.1 running on Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2. This vulnerability specifically targets the handling of requests containing ".dll" extensions followed by numeric arguments ranging from "~0" through "~9", creating a condition where ntdll.dll generates return values that IIS fails to properly process. The flaw manifests when processing requests such as "/_vti_bin/.dll/*/~0" which exploit the improper validation of URL components within the IIS request handling pipeline.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability stems from the insecure parsing of Uniform Resource Locators within IIS's web server architecture, creating a condition where malformed URL requests can trigger memory corruption within the underlying Windows kernel components. This issue is classified under CWE-121 as a stack-based buffer overflow, where the improper handling of input parameters in the URL parsing routine leads to memory overwrite conditions that can be leveraged by remote attackers. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of web server request processing and kernel memory management, where the IIS component fails to validate or sanitize URL segments containing numeric wildcards that are subsequently passed to ntdll.dll functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond the initially reported denial of service scenario, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. When exploited, the malformed URL requests cause ntdll.dll to return unexpected values that IIS does not properly handle, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged for privilege escalation and remote code execution. This represents a significant security risk in environments where IIS 5.1 is deployed, as attackers can potentially gain full system control without requiring authentication. The vulnerability affects the fundamental web serving capabilities of IIS and demonstrates how URL parsing flaws can create critical entry points for attackers.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-4360 require immediate implementation of security patches from Microsoft, specifically the cumulative security update that addresses the URL parsing vulnerability in IIS 5.1. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of vulnerable IIS installations, while deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious URL patterns. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1190 for Exploit Public-Facing Application, as it represents a classic web application exploitation vector targeting server-side components. Additionally, implementing proper input validation at the web server level and disabling unnecessary web server features can significantly reduce the attack surface. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for requests containing the specific patterns that trigger the vulnerability, particularly those involving numeric wildcards in URL segments.