HTTP ServerWeb server / proxy · Apache
CVE-1999-0289
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 Apache web server for Win32 may provide access to restricted files when a . (dot) is appended to a requested URL.
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 confidenceApache web server for Win32 fails to properly restrict access when a dot (.) is appended to the URL path, potentially allowing attackers to access restricted files by bypassing access controls through URL manipulation.
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
all 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
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/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 if Apache is running on WindowsRun 'apachectl -v' or check the running service. On Windows, look for Apache service in Services or check httpd.exe process.Affected if Apache is running on a Windows (Win32) platform
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Check the Apache versionRun 'httpd -v' or 'apachectl -v' to display version information. Note that all versions are affected.Affected if Any version of Apache HTTP Server is running on Windows
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Locate access control configurationsSearch for .htaccess files in document root directories, and check httpd.conf for Allow, Deny, and Require directives that restrict access to specific paths or files.Affected if Access restrictions (Allow/Deny, Require directives, or .htaccess files) are configured on the Windows Apache server
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Test for trailing dot bypassMake an HTTP request to a restricted resource with a trailing dot appended (e.g., GET /restricted/.htaccess or GET /admin/.) and compare the response to the same request without the trailing dot.Affected if A request with a trailing dot returns content that is denied when requested without the trailing dot, indicating the bypass works
A Windows Apache server with access controls in place is affected if requests with a trailing dot successfully retrieve content that is denied without the trailing dot.
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 dataUpgrade to a patched version of Apache or apply vendor-supplied patches. For legacy systems, implement URL filtering at the application or network level to block requests with trailing dots.
Fix this in HTTP Server
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 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 $1,424.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-1999-0289 — 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-1999-0289 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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