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Unusually Long Content-Type Length

The following analytic identifies unusually long strings in the Content-Type HTTP header sent by the client to the server. It uses data from the Stream:HTTP source, specifically evaluating the length of the…

Description

The following analytic identifies unusually long strings in the Content-Type HTTP header sent by the client to the server. It uses data from the Stream:HTTP source, specifically evaluating the length of the `cs_content_type` field. This activity is significant because excessively long Content-Type headers can indicate attempts to exploit vulnerabilities or evade detection mechanisms. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow attackers to execute code, manipulate data, or bypass security controls, potentially leading to unauthorized access or data breaches.

Detection logic

Known benign triggers

  • Very few legitimate Content-Type fields will have a length greater than 100 characters.

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