CVE-2007-4980 in gcaldaemon
Summary
by MITRE
The readRequest method in org/gcaldaemon/core/http/HTTPListener.java in GCALDaemon 1.0-beta13 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a large integer value in the Content-Length HTTP header, which triggers a fatal Java OutOfMemoryError.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/22/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-4980 resides within the GCALDaemon 1.0-beta13 software, specifically in the HTTPListener component that handles incoming HTTP requests. This daemon application is designed to manage calendar synchronization tasks and operates as a web server component. The flaw manifests in the readRequest method which processes HTTP headers submitted by clients. When a malicious actor submits a specially crafted Content-Length header containing an excessively large integer value, the application fails to properly validate or sanitize this input before processing it. The vulnerability represents a classic buffer overflow condition that manifests as a denial of service attack, where the application consumes excessive memory resources and eventually crashes due to a fatal OutOfMemoryError. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of improper input validation and can be classified as CWE-129, which addresses insufficient validation of length of input buffers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it allows remote attackers to consume system resources without authentication or authorization. When the HTTPListener processes a malformed Content-Length header, the Java runtime environment attempts to allocate memory based on the specified value, which can quickly exhaust available heap space. This behavior aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which describes resource exhaustion attacks targeting memory resources. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it does not require any privileged access or complex exploitation techniques, making it easily exploitable by anyone capable of sending HTTP requests to the target system. The daemon's operation as a continuous running service means that successful exploitation results in permanent service unavailability until manual intervention occurs to restart the application.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate defensive measures and long-term architectural improvements. The most effective immediate solution involves implementing input validation on the Content-Length header to establish reasonable upper bounds for acceptable values, typically limiting to values that align with typical HTTP request sizes. System administrators should configure the daemon to reject requests with Content-Length values exceeding predetermined thresholds, such as 10MB or less, depending on the expected workload. Additionally, implementing proper memory management practices including heap space monitoring and automatic restart mechanisms can help reduce the impact of successful attacks. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in OWASP Top 10 and ISO 27001 security standards, particularly regarding input validation and resource management. Organizations should also consider implementing network-level protections such as intrusion detection systems and rate limiting to prevent exploitation attempts and monitor for unusual traffic patterns that might indicate attempted attacks against this specific vulnerability.