CVE-2013-7402 in c-icap
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in request.c in c-icap 0.2.x allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a crafted ICAP request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/22/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-7402 affects the c-icap software version 0.2.x series, specifically within the request.c component of the ICAP (Internet Content Adaptation Protocol) implementation. This flaw represents a critical security issue that enables remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks against systems utilizing this software. The unspecified nature of the vulnerabilities within the request.c file suggests that multiple attack vectors exist, making the exploitation potential more extensive and harder to predict. ICAP is commonly used for content adaptation and filtering services in web proxy environments, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations relying on such infrastructure.
The technical implementation flaw stems from inadequate input validation and error handling within the request.c module responsible for processing ICAP requests. When processing malformed or crafted ICAP requests, the software fails to properly validate incoming data structures, leading to potential buffer overflows, memory corruption, or other internal state inconsistencies that ultimately result in application crashes. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers stack-based buffer overflow conditions, both of which are common causes of denial of service in network protocol implementations. The lack of proper bounds checking and sanitization of incoming ICAP request parameters creates multiple entry points for attackers to manipulate the software's execution flow.
From an operational perspective, the impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it can affect entire network infrastructure components that depend on c-icap for content filtering, virus scanning, or other content adaptation services. Organizations using this software in production environments may experience unexpected service outages, particularly in high-traffic scenarios where the crafted requests can trigger cascading failures. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not need physical access or local privileges to cause system instability, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for public-facing services. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and represents a classic example of how protocol-level flaws can be weaponized to compromise availability.
The recommended mitigation strategies include immediate patching of the c-icap software to version 0.4.0 or later, which contains fixes for the identified vulnerabilities. Organizations should also implement network-level filtering to restrict ICAP traffic to trusted sources only, and deploy intrusion detection systems that can identify and block malformed ICAP requests. Additionally, monitoring for unusual traffic patterns or application crashes should be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation in network protocol implementations and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of all components handling external network input. Organizations should also consider implementing redundant content filtering systems to maintain service availability even when individual components are compromised.