HTTP ServerWeb server / proxy · Apache
CVE-1999-0045
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedList of arbitrary files on Web host via nph-test-cgi script.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe nph-test-cgi script, a non-parsed header test utility commonly deployed on older web servers, contains a directory traversal vulnerability that allows remote unauthenticated attackers to read arbitrary files on the host by manipulating file path arguments in HTTP requests.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
HTTP ServerWeb server / proxy
= 0.8.11= 0.8.14= 1.0= 1.0.2= 1.0.3= 1.0.5= 1.1= 1.12= 1.1= 1.12= 2.0aCVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Locate the nph-test-cgi scriptSearch the web server document root and cgi-bin directories for the file named 'nph-test-cgi' (or nph-test-cgi.exe on Windows). Common paths include /cgi-bin/nph-test-cgi, /scripts/nph-test-cgi, or similar test script directories.Affected if The file exists on the server
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Verify CGI script execution is enabledCheck the web server configuration to confirm CGI scripts are allowed to execute. For Apache, look for 'ScriptAlias' directives or 'Options +ExecCGI' in the configuration. For Netscape servers, verify CGI handling is not disabled.Affected if CGI execution is enabled and the script is within an executable CGI directory
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Confirm the web server versionRun 'httpd -v' (Apache) or check the Netscape server version through the server administration interface or binary version information. Compare the installed version against the affected list: Apache 0.8.11, 0.8.14, 1.0, 1.0.2, 1.0.3, 1.0.5, 1.1; Netscape Commerce Server 1.12; Netscape Communications Server 1.1, 1.12; Netscape Enterprise Server 2.0a.Affected if The installed version matches one of the affected versions listed
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Check for test CGI scripts in productionAudit the web server for other test, example, or diagnostic CGI scripts (such as test-cgi, phf, phpinfo, etc.) that may also be present. Review all files in /cgi-bin, /scripts, and similar directories.Affected if Any test or example CGI scripts are found deployed on a production server
The environment is affected if the nph-test-cgi script exists on the system, CGI execution is enabled, and the web server version matches any of the affected versions listed in the CVE.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataRemove or disable the nph-test-cgi script and conduct a broader audit to eliminate all test and example CGI scripts from production web servers, as these are frequently targeted for information disclosure.
Fix this in HTTP Server
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA0.5 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-1999-0045 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-1999-0045 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data