CVE-2014-0086 in RichFaces
Summary
by MITRE
The doFilter function in webapp/PushHandlerFilter.java in JBoss RichFaces 4.3.4, 4.3.5, and 5.x allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption and out-of-memory error) via a large number of malformed atmosphere push requests.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/09/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0086 represents a critical denial of service weakness within the JBoss RichFaces framework, specifically affecting versions 4.3.4, 4.3.5, and 5.x series. This flaw exists within the doFilter function of the PushHandlerFilter.java component, which serves as a crucial middleware element for handling real-time web applications using the atmosphere push technology. The vulnerability enables remote attackers to exploit memory consumption patterns through the systematic submission of malformed atmosphere push requests, ultimately leading to out-of-memory errors that can incapacitate the affected application servers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and resource management within the PushHandlerFilter component. When the doFilter function processes incoming atmosphere push requests, it fails to properly validate or limit the number of malformed requests that can be submitted within a given timeframe. This processing deficiency creates a memory exhaustion scenario where the application server continuously allocates heap memory to handle these malformed requests without proper cleanup or rate limiting mechanisms. The vulnerability operates at the application layer, specifically targeting the web application's filtering mechanism that governs request processing, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited without requiring authentication or privileged access.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant threat to enterprise web applications that rely on JBoss RichFaces for real-time functionality and user interaction. The memory consumption pattern causes gradual degradation of system performance until complete service unavailability occurs, making it particularly challenging to detect and mitigate during active exploitation. Attackers can leverage this weakness to disrupt business-critical applications, potentially causing financial losses through service downtime and requiring immediate system restarts or resource reallocation to restore normal operations. The vulnerability affects the availability aspect of the CIA triad, as it directly compromises the system's ability to provide services to legitimate users.
The exploitation of CVE-2014-0086 aligns with attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1499 category for network denial of service attacks, specifically targeting application layer resources. This vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-400, which addresses "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption," where the application fails to properly manage resource allocation and deallocation. Organizations using affected JBoss RichFaces versions should implement immediate mitigations including rate limiting configurations, input validation enhancements, and monitoring for unusual request patterns. Additionally, the vulnerability highlights the importance of proper resource management in web application frameworks and underscores the need for comprehensive security testing of middleware components that handle real-time communication protocols. The affected systems require patch updates to address the underlying memory management issues in the PushHandlerFilter implementation, ensuring that malformed requests are properly rejected or handled without consuming excessive system resources.