CVE-2008-1366 in OfficeScan Corporate Edition
Summary
by MITRE
Trend Micro OfficeScan Corporate Edition 8.0 Patch 2 build 1189 and earlier, and 7.3 Patch 3 build 1314 and earlier, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (process consumption) via (1) an HTTP request without a Content-Length header or (2) invalid characters in unspecified CGI arguments, which triggers a NULL pointer dereference.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/15/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1366 affects Trend Micro OfficeScan Corporate Edition versions 8.0 Patch 2 build 1189 and earlier, as well as version 7.3 Patch 3 build 1314 and earlier, representing a critical denial of service weakness that can be exploited remotely by malicious actors. This vulnerability resides within the web server component of the OfficeScan corporate security solution, which is widely deployed in enterprise environments for endpoint protection and security management. The affected system processes HTTP requests through a CGI interface that fails to properly validate input parameters, creating a pathway for attackers to disrupt normal service operations.
The technical flaw manifests through two distinct attack vectors that exploit memory management issues within the OfficeScan web server implementation. The first vector involves sending HTTP requests that lack the Content-Length header, which causes the web server to attempt processing requests without proper size validation, leading to resource exhaustion. The second vector targets unspecified CGI arguments containing invalid characters that trigger a NULL pointer dereference condition in the application code. Both scenarios result in the web server process consuming excessive system resources or crashing entirely, effectively rendering the security management interface unavailable to legitimate users and administrators. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-476 which describes NULL pointer dereference conditions, and represents a classic example of improper input validation that can lead to resource exhaustion attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can severely compromise enterprise security operations by making the OfficeScan management console inaccessible during critical security events. Organizations relying on Trend Micro OfficeScan for centralized security management would face significant operational challenges when the web server becomes unresponsive, potentially leaving endpoints unprotected during the period when administrators cannot access the management interface. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform sustained denial of service attacks that may require system restarts or manual intervention to restore normal operations, creating potential windows of exposure for other security threats. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require physical access or local network presence to cause disruption, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where network segmentation may not fully isolate management interfaces.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-1366 should focus on immediate patching of affected OfficeScan versions to address the underlying memory management issues and input validation flaws. Organizations should implement network segmentation to isolate the OfficeScan management interface from critical business networks, while also deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious HTTP request patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, administrators should configure proper monitoring and alerting for unusual resource consumption patterns on the OfficeScan servers, as well as establish emergency procedures for restoring service when denial of service conditions occur. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory management practices in security applications, as outlined in the software security principles of the CWE database and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499 which covers network denial of service attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing application firewalls or web application firewalls to filter malicious HTTP requests before they reach the vulnerable OfficeScan web server component.