CVE-2006-0600 in Elog Web Logbook
Summary
by MITRE
elog before 2.5.7 r1558-4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite redirection) via a request with the fail parameter set to 1, which redirects to the same request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/22/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-0600 affects the elog application version 2.5.7 r1558-4 and earlier, representing a critical denial of service flaw that can be exploited remotely by attackers. This vulnerability specifically targets the application's handling of HTTP requests containing a fail parameter set to 1, creating a condition where the system enters an infinite redirection loop. The flaw demonstrates a classic example of improper input validation and error handling mechanisms within web applications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's inadequate validation of user-supplied parameters in HTTP requests. When a request is made with the fail parameter explicitly set to 1, the elog system processes this parameter and initiates a redirect operation that points back to the same request URL. This creates a circular redirect condition where the application continuously redirects to itself without ever completing the request cycle. The flaw operates at the HTTP protocol level and exploits the application's redirect functionality without proper boundary checks or loop detection mechanisms.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability can be exploited to consume excessive system resources and render the application unavailable to legitimate users. The infinite redirection loop causes the web server to continuously process the same request, leading to resource exhaustion and potential system crashes. Attackers can leverage this flaw to perform simple yet effective denial of service attacks against the elog application, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where availability is critical. The vulnerability affects the application's core functionality and can impact multiple users simultaneously.
This vulnerability maps to CWE-607, which describes "Publicly Known Vulnerability in Web Application" and specifically relates to improper error handling in web applications. The flaw also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers "Toggle System Service" and "Resource Exhaustion" through denial of service attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input sanitization and lacks proper redirect validation that would prevent such circular reference conditions. Organizations should implement proper parameter validation, redirect URL verification, and loop detection mechanisms to prevent similar issues in their applications.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to elog version 2.5.7 r1558-4 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the infinite redirection flaw. Additionally, administrators should implement input validation controls that sanitize all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in redirect operations. Web application firewalls and intrusion prevention systems can be configured to detect and block requests containing suspicious parameter combinations that may trigger the vulnerability. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar improper redirect handling patterns in other applications, ensuring comprehensive protection against such denial of service attacks.
The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper error handling and input validation in web applications, particularly when dealing with redirect operations. Organizations should establish security coding practices that prevent circular reference conditions and implement robust monitoring systems to detect unusual traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. This case demonstrates how seemingly simple parameter handling can create significant security risks when proper validation and boundary checking mechanisms are absent from the application code.