CVE-2007-0414 in WebLogic Server
Summary
by MITRE
BEA WebLogic Server 6.1 through 6.1 SP7, 7.0 through 7.0 SP6, 8.1 through 8.1 SP5, and 9.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (server hang) via certain requests that cause muxer threads to block when processing error pages.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/17/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0414 affects BEA WebLogic Server versions spanning from 6.1 through 6.1 SP7, 7.0 through 7.0 SP6, 8.1 through 8.1 SP5, and 9.0. This represents a significant denial of service weakness that can be exploited remotely by malicious actors to disrupt server operations. The vulnerability specifically targets the server's handling of error pages during request processing, creating a condition where multiplexer threads become indefinitely blocked. The affected versions encompass multiple major releases of the WebLogic Server platform, indicating this flaw has persisted across several iterations of the software and likely affected numerous enterprise deployments.
The technical flaw manifests when the WebLogic Server receives certain malformed or specially crafted requests that trigger error page generation. During this error processing phase, the multiplexer threads responsible for handling concurrent connections become blocked in an indefinite loop or deadlock state. This occurs because the server's error handling mechanism fails to properly manage the thread lifecycle when processing these specific requests. The multiplexer threads are critical components that manage incoming connections and distribute work across the server's processing capabilities, and their blocking effectively prevents the server from accepting new requests or processing existing ones. This thread blocking behavior constitutes a classic denial of service condition where legitimate service is disrupted through resource exhaustion or starvation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromising the availability of critical enterprise applications. When multiplexer threads become blocked, the server's capacity to handle concurrent user requests diminishes significantly, leading to server unresponsiveness and potential application downtime. Organizations relying on WebLogic Server for mission-critical applications face substantial business disruption risks, as the vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication or elevated privileges. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it can be executed through simple HTTP requests that trigger the error handling code path, making exploitation straightforward and accessible to attackers with minimal technical expertise. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-400, which categorizes "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption" as a fundamental weakness in software design that can lead to denial of service conditions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patch application as provided by BEA/Oracle to address the root cause in the server's error handling implementation. Organizations should implement network-level protections such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor and filter suspicious requests that might trigger the vulnerability. Additionally, deploying application firewalls or web application firewalls can help detect and block malformed requests before they reach the vulnerable server components. The remediation approach aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which addresses "Endpoint Denial of Service" by focusing on protecting server endpoints from resource exhaustion attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing request rate limiting and connection pooling configurations to reduce the impact if exploitation occurs. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar thread management issues in other server components, as this vulnerability demonstrates a pattern of improper resource handling that may exist in other parts of the application stack.