CVE-2024-26308 - Addressing a Dangerous Resource Allocation Vulnerability in Apache Commons Compress

A dangerous and potentially disruptive vulnerability has recently been discovered in the popular Apache Commons Compress library. Known as CVE-2024-26308, this vulnerability specifically involves a failure to properly allocate resources without limits or throttling, which could lead to denial-of-service (DoS) attacks and other types of cyber exploitation. This article will provide an overview of the vulnerability, including code snippets, links to original references, and details about the exploit itself.

Software Versions Affected

The Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling vulnerability affects the Apache Commons Compress library in versions 1.21 to 1.25. The vulnerability has been addressed in the latest release, which is version 1.26. Users are strongly encouraged to upgrade to this version in order to protect their systems from potential attacks.

Description of the Vulnerability

The vulnerability in question (CVE-2024-26308) occurs when the Apache Commons Compress library fails to properly allocate resources without limits or throttling, which can result in excessive consumption of memory and CPU resources. If left unaddressed, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability to bring down a system through a DoS attack, causing significant disruption to the target organization's operations.

The following code snippet demonstrates the problem in Apache Commons Compress

public void uncompress(InputStream input, OutputStream output) throws IOException {
    byte[] buffer = new byte[8192];
    int length;
    while ((length = input.read(buffer)) != -1) {
        output.write(buffer, , length);
    }
}

In the code above, there are no limits on the amount of data that can be read and written, which could lead to excessive resource consumption if an attacker provides a carefully crafted input.

Exploit Details

An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by providing an input that is either extremely large or that causes excessive decompression. In either case, the target system could become overwhelmed with the demand for resources, resulting in a DoS attack that makes the system unusable.

For a more detailed breakdown of the exploit, please refer to the official advisory and supporting resources:

- Apache Commons Compress Advisory: https://commons.apache.org/proper/commons-compress/security-reports.html
- CVE Details: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-26308

Solution and Recommendations

Users who are running Apache Commons Compress versions 1.21 to 1.25 should immediately upgrade to the latest version (1.26) to address this vulnerability. The latest release contains a fix that addresses the issue, preventing the potential for exploitation.

To download the latest version of Apache Commons Compress, visit the following link: https://commons.apache.org/proper/commons-compress/download_compress.cgi

Conclusion

As demonstrated by CVE-2024-26308, it is crucial to keep software up-to-date in order to maintain the security and integrity of your systems. By upgrading your Apache Commons Compress library to version 1.26, you can protect your system from the Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling vulnerability, reducing the risk of DoS attacks and other cybersecurity threats.

Timeline

Published on: 02/19/2024 09:15:38 UTC
Last modified on: 02/22/2024 15:21:36 UTC