CVE-2006-1619 in WebSphere Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
IBM WebSphere Application Server 4.0.1 through 4.0.3 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via an HTTP request with a large header.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/23/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-1619 represents a classic denial of service flaw affecting IBM WebSphere Application Server versions 4.0.1 through 4.0.3. This issue stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the HTTP request processing pipeline of the application server. The flaw specifically manifests when the server receives HTTP requests containing unusually large header values, which causes the application to crash and become unavailable to legitimate users. Such vulnerabilities fall under the category of buffer overflow conditions and memory corruption issues that have been historically documented in web server implementations.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the server's failure to properly handle and validate HTTP header sizes during request parsing. When an attacker crafts an HTTP request with an oversized header field, the WebSphere application server attempts to process this malformed input without adequate bounds checking. This processing failure results in memory allocation issues or buffer overflows that ultimately lead to application termination. The vulnerability operates at the protocol level where HTTP requests are parsed and interpreted by the application server's web container, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited without requiring authentication or prior access to the system. This type of flaw is categorized under CWE-122 as "Heap-based Buffer Overflow" and represents a fundamental weakness in input validation controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially affect business continuity and availability of critical applications hosted on the affected WebSphere instances. Organizations relying on these older versions of IBM WebSphere for enterprise application hosting face significant risks when this vulnerability is exploited in a production environment. The denial of service condition can be easily triggered by sending a single malicious HTTP request, making it an attractive target for attackers seeking to disrupt operations. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which covers "Endpoint Denial of Service" and demonstrates how seemingly minor input validation gaps can result in substantial operational disruptions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate application of vendor-provided security patches and updates to the IBM WebSphere Application Server to versions that address the header processing flaw. Organizations should implement network-level controls such as rate limiting and header size restrictions at perimeter firewalls or load balancers to prevent exploitation attempts. Additionally, configuring the application server to enforce stricter HTTP header limits and implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify and block suspicious HTTP request patterns provides layered defense mechanisms. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning to identify similar input validation weaknesses in legacy application server environments. Organizations should consider upgrading to supported versions of IBM WebSphere to ensure ongoing security support and protection against known vulnerabilities.