CVE-2012-2438 in ar web content manager
Summary
by MITRE
ar web content manager (AWCM) 2.2 does not restrict the number of comment records that can be submitted through HTTP requests, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (disk consumption) via the coment parameter to (1) show_video.php or (2) topic.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/06/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2012-2438 affects the Ar Web Content Manager version 2.2, specifically targeting its comment submission functionality. This issue represents a classic denial of service vulnerability that exploits the absence of input validation and rate limiting mechanisms within the web application's comment processing system. The flaw is particularly concerning as it allows remote attackers to consume excessive system resources through carefully crafted HTTP requests that submit comment records to the affected application components.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to enforce any limits on the number of comment records that can be submitted through HTTP requests. When attackers exploit this weakness by sending excessive comment data to either show_video.php or topic.php scripts, the system processes each submission without any restrictions on the volume or frequency of requests. This lack of input validation creates a scenario where an attacker can continuously submit comment records, causing the application to store these entries in its database or file system without proper bounds checking.
The operational impact of this vulnerability manifests primarily as disk consumption denial of service conditions. As attackers submit unlimited comment records, the system's storage capacity becomes exhausted through continuous writes to the comment storage mechanism. This process can rapidly consume available disk space, leading to system instability, application unresponsiveness, and potentially complete service disruption. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires minimal resources to exploit and can be automated, making it an effective tool for resource exhaustion attacks against the affected web application.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-770, which addresses allocation of resources without limits or with inadequate limits, and represents a specific instance of the broader category of resource exhaustion attacks. The attack pattern follows typical denial of service methodologies documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the resource exhaustion technique, where adversaries consume system resources to prevent legitimate use of services. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices and highlights the critical importance of implementing proper rate limiting and resource allocation controls in web applications.
Effective mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include implementing rate limiting mechanisms to restrict the number of comment submissions per user or IP address within a given time period. The application should enforce maximum limits on comment record submissions and implement proper input validation to prevent excessive data processing. Database-level restrictions should be implemented to limit the total number of comment records that can be stored for each content item. Additionally, monitoring systems should be deployed to detect unusual comment submission patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. These defensive measures align with industry best practices for preventing resource exhaustion attacks and should be implemented as part of comprehensive application security controls to protect against similar vulnerabilities in web content management systems.