CVE-2016-7046 in JBoss Enterprise Application Platform
Summary
by MITRE
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) 7, when operating as a reverse-proxy with default buffer sizes, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU and disk consumption) via a long URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/22/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-7046 affects Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform version 7 when configured as a reverse proxy with default buffer settings. This security flaw represents a significant denial of service risk that can be exploited by remote attackers to consume excessive system resources. The issue manifests when the application server processes requests containing exceptionally long URLs, leading to resource exhaustion that can effectively瘫痪 the system.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and buffer management within the reverse proxy functionality of JBoss EAP 7. When the system receives a request with an unusually long URL, the default buffer sizes are insufficient to handle the extended input properly. This misconfiguration causes the application server to allocate excessive CPU cycles and disk I/O resources during URL processing, resulting in a gradual consumption of system resources. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-770, which deals with allocation of resources without limits or throttling, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for resource exhaustion attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can lead to complete system unavailability and cascading failures within the application environment. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious requests with URLs exceeding normal parameters, causing the server to enter a state of continuous resource consumption. This behavior can be particularly devastating in production environments where system stability and uptime are critical. The vulnerability affects systems that rely on JBoss EAP 7 for reverse proxy functionality, making it a significant concern for organizations with web applications that depend on this platform for load balancing and request routing.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-7046 should focus on implementing proper buffer size configurations and input validation measures within the JBoss EAP 7 environment. System administrators should configure appropriate URL length limits and adjust buffer parameters to prevent excessive resource allocation during URL processing. The recommended approach involves modifying the reverse proxy settings to enforce reasonable limits on URL length and implementing rate limiting mechanisms to prevent abuse. Additionally, organizations should consider upgrading to patched versions of JBoss EAP 7 where this vulnerability has been addressed through improved buffer management and input validation controls. Regular monitoring and logging of URL length patterns can help identify potential exploitation attempts and provide early warning of resource exhaustion attacks.