CVE-1999-1180
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 · uneditedO'Reilly WebSite 1.1e and Website Pro 2.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via shell metacharacters in an argument to (1) args.cmd or (2) args.bat.
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 confidenceO'Reilly WebSite 1.1e and Website Pro 2.0 contain a command injection vulnerability where remote attackers can execute arbitrary OS commands by including shell metacharacters in arguments to the args.cmd or args.bat parameters. This allows complete compromise of the server through unauthenticated command injection.
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= 1.1e<= 2.4= 2.0= 2.1CVSS 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
- None
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/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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Identify if O'Reilly Website server is installedCheck for the web server process or examine running services on typical ports (HTTP port 80, HTTPS port 443). Look for executable files such as website.exe, webserv.exe, or check Program Files for 'O'Reilly Website' directories.Affected if The server software is installed and running on the system
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Determine the installed versionLocate the server executable or check the software's 'About' dialog/version information. Common locations: the main executable directory or registry entries under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\O'Reilly\Website.Affected if Version is 1.1e, 2.0, 2.1, or any version 2.4 or lower
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Check if CGI/parameter handling is enabledExamine the server configuration for CGI script execution and parameter processing. Look for settings that enable args.cmd or args.bat parameter handling in the web server configuration files or administration interface.Affected if CGI and parameter-based command execution features are enabled (default behavior for affected versions)
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Verify remote unauthenticated access is possibleConfirm that the vulnerable endpoint accepts remote requests without authentication. Test accessing a URL with the args.cmd or args.bat parameter, such as http://target/cgi-bin/website?args.cmd=test.Affected if The CGI interface is exposed to unauthenticated remote users
A system is affected if O'Reilly Website or Website Pro version 1.1e, 2.0, 2.1, or 2.4 or lower is installed with CGI and parameter handling enabled and accessible to remote unauthenticated users.
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 dataDue to the extreme age of these software versions (1999 era), the recommended remediation is migration to a modern, supported web server platform rather than attempting to patch the obsolete codebase. If continued use is absolutely required, input validation to reject shell metacharacters must be implemented on all parameter handling.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation24.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-1999-1180 — 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-1999-1180 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data