CVE-2015-2927 in node
Summary
by MITRE
node 0.3.2 and URONode before 1.0.5r3 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (bandwidth consumption).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/29/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-2927 affects node.js versions 0.3.2 and URONode versions prior to 1.0.5r3, presenting a significant denial of service risk that can lead to bandwidth exhaustion on affected systems. This issue stems from improper handling of network traffic within the node.js implementation, specifically in how the software manages incoming connections and data processing. The flaw allows remote attackers to exploit the system by sending specially crafted network requests that consume excessive bandwidth resources, ultimately leading to service disruption for legitimate users.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient validation and resource management within the node.js networking stack. When processing incoming network requests, the vulnerable implementations fail to properly rate limit or throttle connection attempts, allowing malicious actors to establish multiple connections or send large volumes of data that consume available bandwidth resources. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-400 as an Uncontrolled Resource Consumption, which represents a critical weakness in system design that can be exploited to exhaust system resources. The flaw operates at the network protocol level where the software fails to implement adequate traffic shaping or connection limiting mechanisms that would prevent a single attacker from consuming disproportionate network resources.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a substantial risk for organizations relying on node.js applications or URONode implementations, as it can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication or elevated privileges. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform bandwidth exhaustion attacks that effectively render services unavailable to legitimate users, causing significant operational disruption and potential financial losses. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption as it can affect network performance for other applications sharing the same bandwidth resources, creating cascading effects within network infrastructure. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.001 which describes Network Denial of Service attacks, where adversaries exhaust network resources to prevent legitimate access to services.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of node.js and URONode where available, implementing network-level rate limiting and connection throttling, and deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for unusual bandwidth consumption patterns. Network administrators should configure firewalls and load balancers to limit connection rates and implement bandwidth monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing application-level firewalls or web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious traffic patterns associated with this type of attack. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of resource management in network applications and highlights the need for robust input validation and traffic control mechanisms to prevent exploitation of similar weaknesses in network protocols and application implementations.