CVE-2018-16789 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies
Learn about CVE-2018-16789 affecting Shell In A Box version 2.20 and earlier. Discover the impact, technical details, and mitigation steps for this denial-of-service vulnerability.
Shell In A Box version 2.20 and earlier is vulnerable to a denial-of-service attack due to a flaw in its HTTP request parsing logic.
Understanding CVE-2018-16789
The vulnerability in Shell In A Box can be exploited by a malicious actor to cause a service outage by forcing the shellinaboxd service into an endless loop, leading to CPU resource exhaustion.
What is CVE-2018-16789?
The HTTP request parsing logic in libhttp/url.c in Shell In A Box version 2.20 and earlier has a vulnerability that can be exploited by sending a carefully crafted multipart/form-data HTTP request.
The Impact of CVE-2018-16789
Exploiting this flaw can result in the shellinaboxd service being stuck in an infinite loop, consuming CPU resources excessively, and causing a service outage.
Technical Details of CVE-2018-16789
Shell In A Box vulnerability details
Vulnerability Description
The flaw in the HTTP request parsing logic of Shell In A Box allows attackers to trigger an infinite loop in the shellinaboxd service, leading to CPU resource exhaustion and service unavailability.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Product: Shell In A Box
- Vendor: N/A
- Versions affected: 2.20 and earlier
Exploitation Mechanism
By sending a specifically crafted multipart/form-data HTTP request, attackers can exploit the vulnerability to force the shellinaboxd service into an endless loop, causing CPU resource depletion.
Mitigation and Prevention
Protecting against CVE-2018-16789
Immediate Steps to Take
- Update Shell In A Box to the latest version to patch the vulnerability.
- Monitor system resources for any unusual CPU consumption that could indicate an ongoing attack.
Long-Term Security Practices
- Regularly update and patch all software components to prevent known vulnerabilities.
- Implement network security measures to detect and block malicious traffic targeting HTTP services.
Patching and Updates
- Apply security patches promptly to mitigate the risk of exploitation and ensure the stability of the shellinaboxd service.