GlobalNewFiles is a mediawiki extension. Versions prior to 48be7adb70568e20e961ea1cb70904454a671b1d are affected by an uncontrolled resource consumption vulnerability. A large amount of page moves within a short space of time could overwhelm Database servers due to improper handling of load balancing and a lack of an appropriate index. As a workaround, one may avoid use of the extension unless additional rate limit at the MediaWiki level or via PoolCounter / MySQL is enabled. A patch is available in version 48be7adb70568e20e961ea1cb70904454a671b1d.
The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Globalnewfiles | Miraheze | * | * |
Mitigation of resource exhaustion attacks requires that the target system either:
The first of these solutions is an issue in itself though, since it may allow attackers to prevent the use of the system by a particular valid user. If the attacker impersonates the valid user, they may be able to prevent the user from accessing the server in question.
The second solution is simply difficult to effectively institute – and even when properly done, it does not provide a full solution. It simply makes the attack require more resources on the part of the attacker.