CVE-2008-0927 in eDirectory
Summary
by MITRE
dhost.exe in Novell eDirectory 8.7.3 before sp10 and 8.8.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via an HTTP request with (1) multiple Connection headers or (2) a Connection header with multiple comma-separated values. NOTE: this might be similar to CVE-2008-1777.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-0927 affects Novell eDirectory 8.7.3 before sp10 and 8.8.2 versions where the dhost.exe component fails to properly handle HTTP requests containing malformed Connection headers. This issue represents a classic denial of service vulnerability that can be exploited remotely to consume excessive CPU resources and render the affected system unavailable to legitimate users. The flaw specifically manifests when processing HTTP requests with either multiple Connection headers or a single Connection header containing multiple comma-separated values, creating a condition where the system's processing logic becomes inefficient and resource-intensive.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the HTTP request parsing mechanism of the dhost.exe process. When the system encounters multiple Connection headers or comma-separated values within a single header, it fails to properly normalize or sanitize these inputs before processing. This causes the application to enter an inefficient processing loop where it attempts to parse and handle these malformed headers in a way that consumes disproportionate CPU cycles. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be triggered through standard HTTP communication channels without requiring authentication or specialized privileges.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to network availability and service integrity. An attacker can exploit this weakness by sending carefully crafted HTTP requests that cause the target eDirectory server to consume excessive CPU resources, effectively creating a denial of service condition. The system may become unresponsive to legitimate requests, leading to service disruption for authorized users and potentially affecting critical directory services that organizations depend upon for authentication, authorization, and directory lookups. The resource consumption pattern typically manifests as sustained high CPU utilization that can persist until the system is restarted or the malformed requests are filtered.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of input, and relates to the broader category of resource exhaustion attacks. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this under T1499.004 for Network Denial of Service, specifically targeting application layer resources. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including patching to the latest service pack versions, configuring web application firewalls to detect and block malformed Connection headers, and implementing rate limiting mechanisms to prevent abuse. Additionally, network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect unusual CPU consumption patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization and the potential for seemingly benign HTTP header processing to become a vector for significant service disruption.