CVE-2016-5004 in Archiva
Summary
by MITRE
The Content-Encoding HTTP header feature in ws-xmlrpc 3.1.3 as used in Apache Archiva allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (resource consumption) by decompressing a large file containing zeroes.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/04/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5004 represents a critical denial of service weakness in the ws-xmlrpc 3.1.3 library when integrated with Apache Archiva. This flaw manifests through the improper handling of the Content-Encoding HTTP header, specifically when processing compressed data streams. The vulnerability stems from the library's inadequate validation and resource management during decompression operations, creating a scenario where malicious actors can exploit the system's decompression mechanism to consume excessive computational resources.
The technical exploitation occurs when a remote attacker crafts a specially formatted HTTP request containing a Content-Encoding header that specifies a compression algorithm such as gzip or deflate. The ws-xmlrpc library processes this request by attempting to decompress the payload, but due to insufficient bounds checking and resource allocation controls, it can be forced to decompress a large file consisting primarily of zero bytes. This particular attack vector leverages the decompression algorithm's behavior where sequences of repeated zero bytes can be efficiently compressed, yet when decompressed, they consume significant memory and processing cycles.
This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-400, which categorizes uncontrolled resource consumption as a fundamental weakness in software systems. The attack pattern aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1499.004, specifically targeting the denial of service through resource exhaustion. The operational impact extends beyond simple service disruption, as the vulnerability can be exploited to consume CPU cycles and memory resources in a sustained manner, potentially leading to system instability or complete service unavailability.
The implications for Apache Archiva deployments are particularly concerning since this library is used for XML-RPC communication within the repository management system. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform resource exhaustion attacks against Archiva servers, potentially affecting repository operations, build processes, and overall system performance. The attack requires minimal privileges and can be executed through standard HTTP requests, making it highly accessible to malicious actors.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper input validation and resource limits for decompression operations. Organizations should consider updating to patched versions of ws-xmlrpc, implementing rate limiting mechanisms, and configuring appropriate memory and CPU constraints for decompression processes. Additionally, network-level filtering and intrusion detection systems can help identify and block suspicious requests containing malformed Content-Encoding headers. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper resource management in network libraries and demonstrates how seemingly benign HTTP headers can be weaponized for resource exhaustion attacks.