CVE-2008-0407 in HTTP File Server
Summary
by MITRE
HTTP File Server (HFS) before 2.2c tags HTTP request log entries with the username sent during HTTP Basic Authentication, regardless of whether authentication succeeded, which might make it more difficult for an administrator to determine who made a remote request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/10/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-0407 affects HTTP File Server (HFS) versions prior to 2.2c, presenting a significant security concern related to authentication logging mechanisms. This flaw exists within the server's handling of HTTP Basic Authentication responses where the system logs user identifiers even when authentication attempts fail. The issue stems from the server's improper state management during authentication processes, where it fails to distinguish between successful and failed authentication attempts when recording log entries. This behavior creates confusion in security auditing and incident response activities, as administrators cannot reliably determine whether a particular user successfully accessed restricted resources or attempted unauthorized access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the server's logging subsystem which indiscriminately incorporates username data from HTTP Basic Authentication headers into log entries without validating the authentication outcome. This flaw represents a deviation from proper security logging practices and aligns with CWE-595, which addresses the improper comparison of similar objects, and CWE-778, which deals with insufficient logging. The vulnerability specifically impacts the integrity of audit trails by creating misleading information in log files, where failed authentication attempts are incorrectly associated with user identities. From an operational perspective, this issue directly contradicts the principle of least privilege and proper access control logging as defined in security frameworks and standards.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple logging inaccuracies to potentially compromise security monitoring capabilities and forensic analysis. Administrators relying on these logs for security investigations may encounter difficulties in identifying actual unauthorized access attempts versus failed authentication attempts that appear to originate from legitimate user accounts. This confusion can mask real security incidents and delay incident response times, creating potential gaps in security posture assessment. The vulnerability also increases the attack surface for malicious actors who might exploit this logging behavior to obscure their activities or manipulate security controls. In the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this issue relates to privilege escalation and defense evasion techniques where attackers could leverage the misleading log data to avoid detection.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve upgrading to HTTP File Server version 2.2c or later, which addresses the improper logging behavior. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring controls to detect anomalous authentication patterns and ensure that log analysis tools properly validate authentication outcomes before drawing conclusions about user activities. Security administrators should conduct regular log reviews to identify inconsistencies in authentication logging and establish proper alerting mechanisms for failed authentication attempts that appear to originate from specific user accounts. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to verify that the updated logging behavior correctly distinguishes between successful and failed authentication attempts, ensuring that security audit trails accurately reflect actual system access patterns and maintain the integrity required for effective security operations.