CVE-2017-5850 : What You Need to Know

OpenBSD httpd vulnerability leading to denial of service attack.

Understanding CVE-2017-5850

A vulnerability in OpenBSD's httpd allows remote attackers to trigger a denial of service (DoS) attack by exploiting a specific HTTP Range header.

What is CVE-2017-5850?

The vulnerability in OpenBSD's httpd enables remote attackers to cause a DoS by sending a sequence of requests for a large file using an HTTP Range header.

The Impact of CVE-2017-5850

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to initiate a DoS attack, leading to excessive memory consumption on the affected system.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-5850

The technical aspects of the OpenBSD httpd vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

OpenBSD's httpd vulnerability allows remote attackers to trigger a DoS by requesting a large file with an HTTP Range header, causing high memory usage.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Not applicable
Vendor: Not applicable
Versions: Not applicable

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers exploit the vulnerability by sending a series of requests for a sizable file using an HTTP Range header, resulting in a DoS attack.

Mitigation and Prevention

Steps to mitigate and prevent the CVE-2017-5850 vulnerability.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply patches provided by OpenBSD to address the httpd vulnerability.
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activities targeting the httpd service.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch all software and systems to prevent known vulnerabilities.
Implement network intrusion detection systems to identify and block malicious traffic.
Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing to identify and address potential weaknesses.

Patching and Updates

OpenBSD has released patches for versions 5.9 and 6.0 to mitigate the httpd vulnerability.