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HTTP ServerWeb server / proxy · Apache

CVE-1999-0067

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 1996-03-20
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
High EPSS Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
phf CGI program allows remote command execution through shell metacharacters.

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 confidence

The phf CGI program, part of older PHP installations, contains a command injection vulnerability that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary OS commands by injecting shell metacharacters through web request parameters.

MitigationRemove or disable the vulnerable phf CGI program from the web server, and ensure PHP is updated to a current supported version.

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
Affected:= 1.0.3
Ncsa HttpdWeb server / proxy
Affected:= 1.5a

CVSS 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
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Locate the phf CGI program on the system
    Search for the phf file in common web server directories: find / -name 'phf*' -o -name 'phf' 2>/dev/null. Common locations include /cgi-bin/, /htdocs/cgi-bin/, or /usr/local/apache/cgi-bin/
    Affected if The phf file exists in any web-accessible cgi directory
  2. Identify the web server version
    Run 'httpd -v' or 'apachectl -v' to determine the Apache version. For Ncsa Httpd, check the binary or documentation for version 1.5a
    Affected if The web server version is Apache 1.0.3 or Ncsa Httpd 1.5a
  3. Verify if phf is accessible via HTTP
    Attempt to access http://yourserver/cgi-bin/phf or similar path using curl or a web browser. Check for a response (even an error) rather than a 404 Not Found
    Affected if The phf CGI script returns any HTTP response (200, 500, etc.) when requested via web
  4. Check for PHP installation accompanying the web server
    Look for PHP installations in /usr/local/, /opt/, or system package directories. Check for php.ini or php binaries
    Affected if PHP is installed alongside the affected web server versions (Apache 1.0.3 or Ncsa 1.5a)
  5. Confirm phf is executable
    If the phf file is found, run 'ls -la /path/to/phf' to check file permissions. Look for executable permissions (x flag)
    Affected if The phf file has executable permissions and is owned by the web server user

The environment is affected if the phf CGI program exists and is accessible on a web server running Apache 1.0.3 or Ncsa Httpd 1.5a, as these specific versions contain the vulnerable phf component.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Remove or disable the vulnerable phf CGI program from the web server, and ensure PHP is updated to a current supported version.

Recommended fix High confidence

Migrate to Apache HTTP Server 2.4.x or later, or nginx stable branch

  1. 1. Stop the obsolete NCSA HTTP server immediately to prevent active exploitation.
  2. 2. Remove the phf CGI script (typically located in the cgi-bin directory) from the server if the server cannot be taken offline immediately.
  3. 3. Migrate to a modern, actively maintained web server such as Apache HTTP Server (2.4.x or later) or nginx.
  4. 4. If the server must continue running NCSA HTTPd temporarily, ensure the phf CGI is removed and firewall rules restrict access to the service.
Caveat Complete migration away from NCSA HTTPd is required as it is obsolete and unmaintained; legacy CGI configurations will need review and adaptation for the new web server

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in HTTP Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $890
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Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-1999-0067 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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