CVE-1999-0175
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 · uneditedThe convert.bas program in the Novell web server allows a remote attackers to read any file on the system that is internally accessible by the web server.
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 convert.bas program in Novell Web Server contains a path traversal vulnerability allowing remote attackers to read arbitrary files accessible to the web server process. This is a classic file disclosure flaw where insufficient input validation on the convert.bas script enables directory traversal attacks.
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= 1.0CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N
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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Identify if Novell Web Server 1.0 is installedCheck the installed software or running services for Novell Web Server version 1.0. On Windows, check Add/Remove Programs or the web server installation directory. Look for the presence of Novell web server binaries or documentation.Affected if Novell Web Server version 1.0 is found installed on the system
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Locate the convert.bas scriptSearch the web server document root for the convert.bas file. Common paths may include /cgi-bin/ or the root web directory. Check for files named convert.bas in CGI or script directories.Affected if The convert.bas script exists in the web server's directory structure
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Verify the script is web-accessibleAttempt to access http://your-server/cgi-bin/convert.bas or similar paths via HTTP to confirm the script is reachable over the web. Check web server configuration for CGI script mappings.Affected if The convert.bas script responds to HTTP requests and is publicly accessible
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Test for directory traversal vulnerabilitySend a crafted request to convert.bas with path traversal sequences such as ../../../../etc/passwd or ../../../../win.ini to attempt accessing files outside the web root. Observe if the server returns file contents.Affected if The script returns content from files outside the intended directory, confirming the vulnerability is exploitable
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Check for evidence of exploitationReview web server access logs for requests to convert.bas containing ../ sequences. Check for unusual file access patterns or unauthorized disclosure of sensitive system files.Affected if Logs show directory traversal attempts against convert.bas or unauthorized file reads have occurred
A system is affected if Novell Web Server 1.0 is running with the convert.bas script accessible via HTTP and the directory traversal vulnerability is present or has been exploited.
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 vulnerable convert.bas script from the web server. If the script is required, implement strict input validation and access controls to prevent directory traversal. Consider upgrading to a supported web server platform as Novell Web Server from this era is likely end-of-life.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-1999-0175 — 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-1999-0175 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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- 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
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