CVE-2018-8005 in Traffic Server
Summary
by MITRE
When there are multiple ranges in a range request, Apache Traffic Server (ATS) will read the entire object from cache. This can cause performance problems with large objects in cache. This affects versions 6.0.0 to 6.2.2 and 7.0.0 to 7.1.3. To resolve this issue users running 6.x users should upgrade to 6.2.3 or later versions and 7.x users should upgrade to 7.1.4 or later versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2023
Apache Traffic Server version 6.0.0 through 6.2.2 and 7.0.0 through 7.1.3 contains a vulnerability in its range request handling mechanism that fundamentally violates the expected behavior of HTTP range requests. This flaw exists within the cache management subsystem where the system fails to properly process multiple range specifications within a single request, instead electing to retrieve the entire cached object regardless of the specific ranges requested. The vulnerability stems from a design flaw in how ATS interprets and processes range headers, specifically when multiple ranges are specified in a single request. This behavior directly contravenes the HTTP/1.1 specification which mandates that servers should only return the specific byte ranges requested by the client, not the entire resource. The issue manifests as a performance degradation that becomes particularly pronounced when dealing with large objects stored in cache, as the system unnecessarily consumes bandwidth and processing resources to serve complete objects when only portions are required. This vulnerability maps to CWE-129 in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, which addresses improper validation of the length of input strings, and can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1499.301 for performance impact through resource exhaustion.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple performance degradation to potentially compromise system availability and resource utilization within caching environments. When multiple clients make range requests for different portions of large cached objects, the system's inefficient handling causes unnecessary cache misses and excessive network traffic. This behavior becomes particularly problematic in high-traffic scenarios where multiple range requests are common, such as media streaming applications or content delivery networks where partial content retrieval is frequently utilized. The vulnerability creates a scenario where cache efficiency is dramatically reduced, leading to increased latency for legitimate requests and potential denial of service conditions when cache resources become exhausted. Network bandwidth consumption increases exponentially with the number of range requests, as the system must transfer full objects instead of the requested byte ranges. This inefficient resource utilization can cause cascading effects throughout the caching infrastructure, potentially leading to cache eviction of frequently accessed content and degraded service quality for legitimate users.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigation strategies while planning for the necessary software upgrades. The recommended remediation involves upgrading to ATS version 6.2.3 or later for 6.x deployments and version 7.1.4 or later for 7.x deployments, as these releases contain the necessary patches to properly handle multiple range requests. System administrators should also consider implementing rate limiting and monitoring solutions to detect abnormal range request patterns that might indicate exploitation of this vulnerability. Additionally, network administrators should monitor bandwidth utilization and cache performance metrics to identify potential impacts from this vulnerability before the upgrade is completed. The patch addresses the core issue by implementing proper range request parsing and ensuring that only the requested byte ranges are served from cache, thereby restoring the expected behavior of HTTP range requests and maintaining cache efficiency. Security teams should also conduct vulnerability assessments to ensure that all ATS instances within their environment are properly updated and that monitoring systems are configured to alert on unusual caching behavior that might indicate continued exploitation of this vulnerability.