Executive brief
A security vulnerability exists in a sample program included with the WebSite web server. By sending a specially crafted web request with an excessively long query string, an attacker can take control of the server. This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data or the ability to run malicious commands on the host system.
Technical details
A classic buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the 'win-c-sample.exe' CGI program bundled with the WebSite web server version 1.1e. The vulnerability is triggered when the application fails to properly validate the length of a query string passed via a GET or POST request. A remote, unauthenticated attacker can exploit this by sending a long query string that overwrites the program's stack memory, allowing for the redirection of execution flow to arbitrary code. This is a network-based attack requiring no user interaction. The vulnerability was originally disclosed in 1997.
Affected products
- O'Reilly & Associates WebSite web server 1.1e
Timeline
- 1997-01-01: disclosed: Initial public disclosure via Bugtraq and NVD publication.