CVE-2006-0911 in WhatsUp
Summary
by MITRE
NmService.exe in Ipswitch WhatsUp Professional 2006 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via crafted requests to Login.asp, possibly involving the (1) "In]" and (2) "b;tnLogIn" parameters, or (3) malformed btnLogIn parameters, possibly involving missing "[" (open bracket) or "[" (closing bracket) characters, as demonstrated by "&btnLogIn=[Log&In]=&" or "&b;tnLogIn=[Log&In]=&" in the URL. NOTE: due to the lack of diagnosis by the original researcher, the precise nature of the vulnerability is unclear.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/13/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-0911 affects Ipswitch WhatsUp Professional 2006, specifically targeting the NmService.exe component that handles authentication requests through the Login.asp web interface. This issue represents a classic denial of service vulnerability where malicious actors can consume excessive system resources through carefully crafted HTTP requests. The vulnerability manifests when the system processes malformed input parameters sent to the login endpoint, creating a condition where legitimate CPU cycles are consumed without proper resource allocation or input validation. The affected parameters include "In]" and "b;tnLogIn" which appear to be manipulated versions of the standard login button parameter, suggesting an attempt to exploit input parsing mechanisms within the web application.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and error handling within the authentication processing pipeline. When the NmService.exe component receives requests containing malformed btnLogIn parameters, particularly those missing opening or closing brackets, the system's parsing logic becomes susceptible to resource exhaustion. This behavior aligns with CWE-129, Input Validation, and CWE-400, Uncontrolled Resource Consumption, as the application fails to properly validate or sanitize user input before processing. The specific payload patterns "&btnLogIn=[Log&In]=&" and "&b;tnLogIn=[Log&In]=&" demonstrate how attackers can manipulate the URL structure to trigger the vulnerable code path, potentially causing the service to consume excessive CPU cycles in an attempt to process malformed requests. The original researcher's inability to provide complete diagnostic information suggests that the vulnerability may involve complex parsing logic or recursive processing that could be exploited in multiple ways.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant risk for network monitoring and management systems that rely on Ipswitch WhatsUp Professional for infrastructure monitoring. The denial of service condition can render the authentication service unavailable, effectively preventing legitimate users from accessing the system while consuming valuable computational resources. This type of attack can be particularly damaging in enterprise environments where network monitoring tools are critical for maintaining system integrity and detecting security incidents. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can potentially be used as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks or as part of a broader campaign targeting network infrastructure. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1499.004, Endpoint Denial of Service, and T1190, Exploit Public-Facing Application, since it involves exploitation of a publicly accessible web interface with remote code execution potential.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust input validation and sanitization measures within the web application layer. System administrators should ensure that all user-supplied input is properly validated before being processed by the authentication service, particularly for parameters that are directly related to login functionality. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and rate limiting can help prevent exploitation by limiting the number of requests that can be processed from a single source within a given timeframe. Additionally, the affected software should be updated to the latest version from Ipswitch, as this vulnerability was likely addressed in subsequent releases through improved input validation and error handling mechanisms. Organizations should also implement monitoring solutions that can detect unusual CPU consumption patterns or abnormal request processing that might indicate exploitation attempts, providing early warning capabilities for potential denial of service attacks targeting the authentication service.