CVE-2005-4823 in HTTP Server
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the HP HTTP Server 5.0 through 5.95 of the HP Web-enabled Management Software allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-4823 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the HP HTTP Server component of HP Web-enabled Management Software versions 5.0 through 5.95. This security weakness resides in the server's handling of incoming network requests and specifically affects the HTTP server implementation that powers HP's web-based management interfaces. The buffer overflow condition occurs when the server processes malformed input data, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers to gain unauthorized system access. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution flaw means that attackers do not require physical access or local credentials to exploit this weakness, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where HP management servers are exposed to untrusted networks.
The technical nature of this buffer overflow vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory management within the HTTP server's request processing routines. When the server receives specially crafted HTTP requests containing oversized data payloads or malformed headers, the application fails to properly bounds-check the incoming data before copying it into fixed-size memory buffers. This fundamental flaw in memory management creates a condition where attacker-controlled data can overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting program execution flow and allowing for arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability's classification as a generic buffer overflow aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, or CWE-122, which covers stack-based buffer overflow scenarios, depending on the specific memory corruption mechanism exploited.
The operational impact of CVE-2005-4823 extends beyond simple remote code execution, as it represents a significant threat to the integrity and availability of HP management infrastructure. Organizations utilizing affected HP Web-enabled Management Software versions face potential compromise of their network management systems, which could result in complete system takeover, data exfiltration, or service disruption. The vulnerability affects systems that rely on HP's web-based management interfaces for monitoring and controlling network equipment, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where such management systems are critical infrastructure components. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could potentially gain administrative privileges, install backdoors, or use the compromised systems as launching points for further attacks within the network perimeter.
Security professionals should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches from HP, which would address the buffer overflow conditions through proper input validation and memory management improvements. Network segmentation strategies should be employed to isolate affected HP management servers from untrusted networks, while firewall rules should be configured to restrict access to these systems. The mitigation approach aligns with defensive techniques outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1203 technique for legitimate credentials and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers would need to establish persistent access or execute commands on compromised systems. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected software versions and implement monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts through anomalous network traffic patterns or unauthorized access attempts.