CVE-2015-2297 in libcsoap
Summary
by MITRE
nanohttp in libcsoap allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and application crash) via a crafted Authorization header.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/22/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-2297 resides within the nanohttp component of the libcsoap library, a widely used SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) implementation for C applications. This flaw manifests as a remote denial of service condition that can be triggered by sending a specially crafted Authorization header to services utilizing this library. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and error handling within the HTTP header parsing mechanism, specifically when processing authentication credentials. The vulnerability represents a classic null pointer dereference scenario where the application fails to properly validate the Authorization header content before attempting to access memory locations that may be uninitialized or null, leading to application termination and service unavailability.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker sends an HTTP request containing a malformed Authorization header to a service running on a system that employs libcsoap for SOAP communications. The nanohttp module within libcsoap processes this header without sufficient validation, causing the application to attempt to dereference a null pointer during the authentication parsing phase. This results in an unhandled exception that terminates the process, effectively causing a denial of service condition that impacts legitimate users attempting to access the affected service. The flaw is particularly concerning because it can be exploited remotely without requiring any authentication or prior access to the system, making it a significant security risk for web services and applications that rely on SOAP communications. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-476 which specifically addresses null pointer dereference conditions, and represents a critical weakness in the input validation and error handling mechanisms of the affected software components.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-2297 extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can be leveraged by attackers to systematically degrade service availability across multiple systems that utilize vulnerable versions of libcsoap. Organizations running web services, enterprise applications, or any system that processes SOAP requests through this library face potential downtime and business disruption when this vulnerability is exploited. The remote nature of the attack means that defenders must consider network-level protection measures, as the vulnerability can be exploited from anywhere on the internet. This type of denial of service vulnerability particularly affects systems that rely on SOAP-based web services, including enterprise application servers, web service gateways, and middleware components. The exploitability factor is high due to the simple nature of the attack vector, requiring only the construction of a malformed HTTP header to trigger the application crash, making it an attractive target for automated exploitation tools.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-2297 should focus on immediate remediation through software updates and patches provided by the maintainers of libcsoap, as well as implementing network-level protections to filter malicious requests. Organizations should prioritize patching affected systems, particularly those running web services or applications that process SOAP communications, as the vulnerability affects the core HTTP processing functionality of the library. Network administrators can implement intrusion prevention systems that monitor for suspicious Authorization header patterns, though this approach is less reliable than direct patching. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of robust input validation and error handling practices in software development, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which addresses network denial of service attacks. Additionally, implementing proper application sandboxing and process isolation can help contain the impact of such vulnerabilities, preventing a single exploited service from affecting the entire system. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should include validation of HTTP header handling mechanisms to identify similar input validation weaknesses that could lead to similar denial of service conditions.