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HTTP ServerWeb server / proxy · Apache

CVE-2002-0240

MEDIUM · 5.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2002-05-29
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
59/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
PHP, when installed with Apache and configured to search for index.php as a default web page, allows remote attackers to obtain the full pathname of the server via the HTTP OPTIONS method, which reveals the pathname in the resulting error message.

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

PHP configured with Apache to use index.php as a default page allows remote attackers to obtain the server's full filesystem pathname via the HTTP OPTIONS method, which reveals the path in the resulting error message.

MitigationDisable the HTTP OPTIONS method in Apache configuration or ensure custom error handlers mask full filesystem paths to prevent path disclosure.

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:= 2.0.28

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
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 checks

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

  1. Identify Apache version
    Run 'apache2 -v' or 'httpd -v' to check if the installed Apache version is 2.0.28
    Affected if Version equals 2.0.28 exactly
  2. Verify PHP is integrated with Apache
    Check Apache configuration files (httpd.conf or included config files) for 'LoadModule php_module' or similar PHP module directives, and confirm PHP handling is enabled
    Affected if PHP module is loaded and handler for .php files is configured
  3. Confirm index.php is set as default page
    Search Apache configuration for 'DirectoryIndex index.php' or similar directives that include index.php as a default document
    Affected if index.php is listed as a DirectoryIndex and is being used as the default page
  4. Test if OPTIONS method reveals path
    Send an HTTP OPTIONS request to the server (e.g., 'curl -X OPTIONS http://target/') and check if the response contains an error message that reveals the full filesystem path
    Affected if The response includes an error message displaying the complete server filesystem path

The server is affected if it runs Apache 2.0.28 with PHP configured, uses index.php as a default page, and the HTTP OPTIONS method returns full filesystem paths in error messages.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Disable the HTTP OPTIONS method in Apache configuration or ensure custom error handlers mask full filesystem paths to prevent path disclosure.

Fix this in HTTP Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
4.0 hours of engineering $750
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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-2002-0240 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