CVE-2012-0022 in Fusion Middleware
Summary
by MITRE
Apache Tomcat 5.5.x before 5.5.35, 6.x before 6.0.34, and 7.x before 7.0.23 uses an inefficient approach for handling parameters, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via a request that contains many parameters and parameter values, a different vulnerability than CVE-2011-4858.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/22/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2012-0022 represents a critical denial of service flaw affecting Apache Tomcat versions prior to specific patch releases. This issue stems from an inefficient parameter handling mechanism within the web server's request processing pipeline, creating a scenario where malicious actors can exploit CPU resource exhaustion through crafted HTTP requests containing excessive parameters and parameter values. The vulnerability specifically impacts Tomcat 5.5.x versions before 5.5.35, 6.x versions before 6.0.34, and 7.x versions before 7.0.23, making it a widespread concern across multiple major release lines of the popular Java application server.
The technical flaw manifests in how Tomcat processes HTTP request parameters during parsing operations. When a request contains numerous parameters with varying values, the server's parameter handling algorithm exhibits poor time complexity characteristics, leading to exponential CPU consumption growth. This inefficiency creates a condition where each additional parameter in the request requires disproportionately more processing time, ultimately causing the server to become unresponsive or crash entirely. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be triggered through simple HTTP requests without requiring authentication or special privileges, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where Tomcat serves high-traffic applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise entire application availability and system stability. Attackers can exploit this weakness to launch sustained denial of service attacks that consume server resources rapidly, potentially affecting multiple concurrent users and causing cascading failures in dependent systems. Organizations running vulnerable Tomcat instances face significant risks including loss of revenue, degraded service quality, and potential security implications when the server becomes unresponsive due to resource exhaustion. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-400 indicates it represents an improper restriction of computational resources, specifically CPU consumption, which aligns with the ATT&CK technique of resource exhaustion attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-0022 primarily focus on immediate patching of affected Tomcat versions to the recommended secure releases. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to Tomcat 5.5.35, 6.0.34, or 7.0.23 respectively, depending on their current version. Additionally, administrators can implement request parameter limits through Tomcat's configuration settings, restricting the maximum number of parameters allowed in a single request. Network-level protections such as rate limiting and request filtering can provide additional defense-in-depth measures, though these should complement rather than replace proper patching. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual CPU usage patterns and excessive parameter processing that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's nature makes it particularly susceptible to automated exploitation, emphasizing the importance of timely patch management and continuous security assessment practices.