HTTP ServerWeb server / proxy · Apache
CVE-1999-0236
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 · uneditedScriptAlias directory in NCSA and Apache httpd allowed attackers to read CGI programs.
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 ScriptAlias directive in NCSA and Apache httpd was misconfigured, causing CGI programs in ScriptAlias directories to be served as plain text (viewable source code) instead of being executed as CGI scripts. This allowed attackers to retrieve sensitive information such as credentials, API keys, and logic embedded in CGI programs.
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
< 1.0all versionsCVSS 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
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 the web server versionRun the web server binary with a version flag (e.g., 'httpd -v' for Apache, or check the binary name/version). For NCSA httpd, check the server banner or binary version.Affected if The server is Apache version less than 1.0 or any version of Illinois NCSA httpd.
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Locate ScriptAlias directives in configurationSearch the server configuration files (typically httpd.conf or similar) for 'ScriptAlias' directives. Identify directories mapped by ScriptAlias.Affected if ScriptAlias directives are present and map to directories containing CGI scripts.
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Test if CGI scripts are executed or served as plain textMake an HTTP request to a CGI script in a ScriptAlias directory (e.g., 'curl http://yourserver/cgi-bin/script.cgi'). Inspect the response.Affected if The response displays the script's source code (plain text) instead of executing the script and showing its output.
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Verify handler configuration for ScriptAlias directoriesCheck the configuration for any 'AddHandler' or 'SetHandler' directives that may override CGI execution for ScriptAlias directories. Look for misconfigured handlers that serve files as 'text/plain' instead of 'application/x-httpd-cgi'.Affected if Handlers are configured to serve CGI files as plain text rather than executing them.
A user is affected if they run Apache < 1.0 or any NCSA httpd version with ScriptAlias directories containing CGI scripts that are displayed as source code instead of being executed.
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 data1.0
Review and correct ScriptAlias configuration to ensure scripts are executed rather than served as static content. Verify directory permissions and handler mappings in the web server configuration.
Fix this in HTTP Server
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,696.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-1999-0236 — 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-1999-0236 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