CVE-2007-6000 in Konqueror
Summary
by MITRE
KDE Konqueror 3.5.6 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via large HTTP cookie parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/16/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-6000 affects KDE Konqueror web browser versions 3.5.6 and earlier, representing a denial of service weakness that can be exploited remotely through malformed HTTP cookie parameters. This flaw demonstrates a classic buffer handling issue where the browser fails to properly manage excessively large cookie values during HTTP request processing. The vulnerability exists in the cookie parsing mechanism within Konqueror's HTTP client implementation, where the application does not validate or limit the size of incoming cookie data before attempting to process it.
The technical execution of this vulnerability involves an attacker sending HTTP responses containing cookie parameters that exceed the browser's internal buffer limits or memory allocation boundaries. When Konqueror attempts to parse these oversized cookies, the parsing routine encounters memory allocation failures or stack overflow conditions that result in the application crashing or becoming unresponsive. This behavior aligns with CWE-122, which describes buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to write beyond allocated memory regions. The flaw represents a failure in input validation and memory management within the browser's network stack components.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to users of older Konqueror versions, particularly in environments where the browser is used for sensitive operations or where denial of service attacks could be leveraged for broader compromise. The remote nature of the attack means that users could be affected simply by visiting malicious websites or receiving specially crafted HTTP responses through various network channels. The impact extends beyond simple browser crashes to potentially disrupting user productivity and creating opportunities for more sophisticated attacks if the vulnerability can be chained with other exploits. This weakness also demonstrates the importance of proper resource management in web browsers, as the failure to implement size limits on cookie processing creates an attack surface that can be easily exploited without requiring elevated privileges.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-6000 primarily involve upgrading to Konqueror versions 3.5.7 or later, where the cookie parsing logic has been modified to include proper bounds checking and size validation. System administrators should implement network monitoring to detect unusual cookie sizes being transmitted to affected browsers and consider implementing proxy-based filtering to normalize cookie values before they reach client browsers. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of visiting untrusted websites and the importance of keeping their browser software updated. The vulnerability also highlights the need for implementing the principle of least privilege in web browser configurations and demonstrates how seemingly minor input validation flaws can create significant security risks. Organizations should consider implementing automated patch management processes to ensure timely deployment of security updates and maintain up-to-date vulnerability assessments for their browser environments. This issue aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and emphasizes the critical importance of robust input validation in preventing exploitation of memory corruption vulnerabilities.