CVE-2010-3899 in OmniFind
Summary
by MITRE
IBM OmniFind Enterprise Edition 8.x and 9.x performs web crawls with an unlimited recursion depth, which allows remote web servers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop) via a crafted series of documents.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/11/2024
IBM OmniFind Enterprise Edition versions 8.x and 9.x contain a critical design flaw that enables remote attackers to induce denial of service conditions through unlimited web crawling recursion. This vulnerability stems from the software's inability to properly limit recursive crawling operations during web content indexing processes. The flaw allows malicious web servers to craft specific document sequences that cause the crawling mechanism to enter infinite loops, consuming excessive system resources and ultimately rendering the service unavailable to legitimate users. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-674, which describes insufficient recursion depth control in software applications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.100 for resource exhaustion attacks. When exploited, this vulnerability can lead to complete service disruption and system instability, as the infinite recursion consumes CPU cycles and memory resources without proper termination conditions. The issue affects organizations relying on OmniFind for enterprise search functionality, where web crawling is essential for indexing external content sources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the web crawler's failure to maintain proper recursion depth tracking during document traversal operations. When the crawler encounters links or references within crawled documents, it should enforce maximum depth limits to prevent endless recursive exploration. However, IBM OmniFind Enterprise Edition lacks this crucial boundary enforcement mechanism, allowing attackers to manipulate web server responses to create circular reference patterns that perpetually trigger new crawling operations. This behavior constitutes a classic denial of service vector where computational resources are consumed indefinitely, with the attack requiring no authentication or specialized privileges beyond access to the targeted web server. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation and resource management practices, as the system fails to implement proper safeguards against maliciously constructed web content that could exploit the crawling algorithm's recursive nature.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-3899 extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass broader business continuity concerns for organizations utilizing IBM OmniFind Enterprise Edition. System administrators may experience unexpected downtime, increased resource consumption, and potential cascading failures in dependent services that rely on search functionality. The vulnerability creates an environment where attackers can cause sustained disruption without requiring significant technical expertise or resources, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where search services are critical for business operations. Organizations may observe degraded performance, system crashes, or complete service outages during active exploitation periods. The impact is compounded by the fact that this vulnerability affects multiple versions of the software, requiring organizations to assess their entire deployment landscape and implement immediate mitigations across affected systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing strict recursion depth controls and establishing robust resource monitoring mechanisms. Organizations should configure the OmniFind Enterprise Edition to enforce maximum recursion limits during web crawling operations, typically setting reasonable thresholds that prevent excessive traversal while maintaining functional search capabilities. Network-level controls including firewall rules and proxy configurations can help limit access to potentially malicious web servers that might trigger the recursion exploit. System administrators should implement comprehensive monitoring solutions to detect unusual resource consumption patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, applying vendor-provided patches or upgrading to supported versions of IBM OmniFind Enterprise Edition represents the most effective long-term solution. The vulnerability highlights the importance of implementing proper security controls around automated crawling and indexing processes, emphasizing that recursive operations must always include appropriate termination conditions to prevent resource exhaustion attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing web content filtering and access control measures to reduce exposure to malicious web content that could trigger such vulnerabilities.