CVE-2011-0529 in Weborf
Summary
by MITRE
Weborf before 0.12.5 is affected by a Denial of Service (DOS) due to malformed fields in HTTP.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/23/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-0529 affects Weborf versions prior to 0125, representing a denial of service condition stemming from improper handling of malformed HTTP fields. This issue resides within the web server implementation that processes incoming HTTP requests and demonstrates a classic example of insufficient input validation leading to system instability. The vulnerability specifically targets the HTTP protocol parsing mechanism where the software fails to adequately sanitize or reject malformed field structures that could cause the service to crash or become unresponsive. Such a flaw represents a fundamental security weakness in the application's request processing pipeline.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when Weborf encounters HTTP requests containing malformed fields that do not conform to standard HTTP protocol specifications. These malformed fields typically involve improper header syntax, invalid character sequences, or malformed field names that the application's parser cannot properly handle. When processing such requests, the software's HTTP field parsing routine likely enters an infinite loop, consumes excessive system resources, or triggers a segmentation fault that results in the service becoming unavailable to legitimate users. This behavior aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes unchecked resource consumption as a primary weakness leading to denial of service conditions. The vulnerability exploits the lack of proper input validation and error handling mechanisms within the HTTP request processing module.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, potentially affecting availability for legitimate users and creating opportunities for attackers to exploit the weakness for broader attacks. An attacker could craft specifically malformed HTTP requests designed to trigger the denial of service condition, causing the Weborf server to crash or become unresponsive for extended periods. This attack vector represents a low-effort, high-impact method for disrupting web services that rely on this software, particularly in environments where such services are critical for business operations. The vulnerability could be exploited through automated scanning tools or manual attack techniques that send malformed HTTP requests to the target server. The attack pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which involves network denial of service attacks targeting application availability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-0529 primarily focus on updating to the patched version of Weborf 0.12.5 or later, which implements proper input validation and error handling for HTTP field processing. Organizations should also implement network-level protections such as intrusion detection systems that can identify and block malformed HTTP requests before they reach the vulnerable application. Additionally, deploying rate limiting mechanisms and request filtering rules can help reduce the effectiveness of denial of service attacks. System administrators should monitor for unusual patterns in HTTP request traffic that might indicate exploitation attempts, and consider implementing application firewalls that can filter out malformed HTTP content. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation and proper error handling in web applications, as outlined in industry best practices for secure coding and defensive programming techniques.