CVE-2009-5024 in ViewVC
Summary
by MITRE
ViewVC before 1.1.11 allows remote attackers to bypass the cvsdb row_limit configuration setting, and consequently conduct resource-consumption attacks, via the limit parameter, as demonstrated by a "query revision history" request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/07/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-5024 affects ViewVC versions prior to 1.1.11 and represents a critical security flaw in the configuration handling mechanism. This issue stems from insufficient input validation and parameter sanitization within the cvsdb row_limit configuration setting, which is designed to control resource consumption during repository queries. The vulnerability specifically manifests when attackers exploit the limit parameter in query revision history requests, allowing them to bypass the intended resource limits and potentially execute resource exhaustion attacks against the affected system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs at the application layer where the limit parameter is processed without proper validation against the configured row_limit setting. When a user submits a query revision history request with a malicious limit parameter, the system fails to enforce the configured limits, thereby allowing unlimited data retrieval operations. This flaw directly violates the principle of least privilege and configuration enforcement, as the application does not properly validate user-supplied parameters against established security boundaries. The vulnerability can be classified under CWE-20 as "Improper Input Validation" and represents a specific instance of CWE-770 "Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling" in the context of database query operations.
The operational impact of CVE-2009-5024 extends beyond simple resource consumption issues to potentially enable denial of service conditions that can severely impact system availability. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to consume excessive CPU cycles, memory, and database connection resources through repeated malicious requests, effectively creating a resource exhaustion attack vector. The exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to system instability, performance degradation, and complete service unavailability, particularly in environments where ViewVC serves as a critical repository access interface for version control operations. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 "Endpoint Denial of Service" and represents a classic example of how configuration bypasses can be weaponized for resource exhaustion attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-5024 primarily focus on updating to ViewVC version 1.1.11 or later, which contains the necessary patches to properly enforce the row_limit configuration settings. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures such as rate limiting at the network level, implementing proper input validation for all user-supplied parameters, and monitoring for unusual query patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The configuration should be reviewed to ensure that row_limit values are appropriately set based on system capacity and security requirements. Security teams should also consider implementing application firewalls or web application security controls that can detect and block malicious limit parameter values. Furthermore, regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any similar configuration bypass vulnerabilities within the application stack, as this type of flaw often indicates broader security configuration weaknesses that may affect other components of the system infrastructure.