CVE-2020-10280 in MiR100
Summary
by MITRE
The Apache server on port 80 that host the web interface is vulnerable to a DoS by spamming incomplete HTTP headers, effectively blocking the access to the dashboard.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/26/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-10280 represents a significant denial of service weakness in Apache web servers configured to operate on port 80 with web interface functionality. This flaw allows malicious actors to disrupt legitimate service access by exploiting the server's handling of HTTP protocol communications. The attack vector specifically targets the server's response to malformed or incomplete HTTP headers, which are fundamental components of the HTTP communication protocol that web servers use to process client requests and deliver content.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from Apache's insufficient validation mechanisms when processing incomplete HTTP header sequences. When an attacker sends multiple requests containing malformed header data, the server's processing logic becomes overwhelmed with incomplete request states that cannot be properly resolved or discarded. This condition creates a resource exhaustion scenario where the server's connection handling capabilities become saturated, preventing legitimate users from establishing new connections or accessing the dashboard interface. The vulnerability operates at the application layer of the network stack, specifically affecting HTTP protocol handling within the web server's request processing pipeline.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the availability of critical administrative interfaces. Organizations relying on Apache servers for their web-based management dashboards face significant risk of operational downtime that could affect system maintenance, monitoring, and administrative functions. The attack can be executed with minimal resources and technical expertise, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by both sophisticated threat actors and less experienced attackers. The vulnerability affects systems where Apache serves as the primary web server for administrative interfaces, commonly found in enterprise environments, cloud deployments, and network infrastructure management platforms.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-10280 should focus on implementing robust input validation mechanisms and connection rate limiting measures. Organizations should deploy web application firewalls that can detect and block malformed HTTP header patterns, while also configuring Apache to implement stricter header validation rules. The implementation of connection throttling and request rate limiting can prevent resource exhaustion attacks from overwhelming the server's capacity. Additionally, monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns of incomplete HTTP requests that may indicate attempted exploitation. Security patches provided by Apache should be applied immediately, as they typically include improved header parsing logic and enhanced resource management to prevent the accumulation of incomplete request states. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses unchecked resource consumption, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1498, which covers network denial of service attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify and alert on suspicious HTTP header patterns that deviate from standard protocol compliance.