CVE-2002-1717
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 · uneditedMicrosoft Internet Information Server (IIS) 5.1 allows remote attackers to view path information via a GET request to (1) /_vti_pvt/access.cnf, (2) /_vti_pvt/botinfs.cnf, (3) /_vti_pvt/bots.cnf, or (4) /_vti_pvt/linkinfo.cnf.
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 · moderate confidenceMicrosoft IIS 5.1 with FrontPage Server Extensions allows remote attackers to obtain path information by requesting specific files in the /_vti_pvt/ directory (access.cnf, botinfs.cnf, bots.cnf, linkinfo.cnf). This information disclosure vulnerability exposes internal path structures that could aid further 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= 5.1CVSS 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
- 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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Confirm IIS versionCheck the IIS version installed on the server. In IIS 5.1, open the IIS Manager, right-click on the local computer, and select Properties. The version is typically displayed in the About dialog or can be checked via the inetmgr snap-in.Affected if The installed version is Microsoft IIS 5.1 exactly.
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Verify FrontPage Server Extensions are installedCheck for the presence of FrontPage Server Extensions. On IIS 5.1, look for the _vti_pvt directory under the web root (typically C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\_vti_pvt) or check if the FrontPage Server Extensions service is listed in Services or the IIS Manager.Affected if FrontPage Server Extensions are installed and enabled on the IIS server.
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Test access to the vulnerable /_vti_pvt/ directory filesAttempt to access the specific files mentioned in the CVE: access.cnf, botinfs.cnf, bots.cnf, and linkinfo.cnf within the /_vti_pvt/ directory via HTTP request. For example: http://targetserver/_vti_pvt/access.cnfAffected if The server returns HTTP 200 OK with file contents rather than HTTP 403 Forbidden or HTTP 404 Not Found, indicating the directory and files are accessible over the network.
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Check for URLScan or request filtering configurationReview whether URLScan (for IIS 5.1 era) or IIS Request Filtering is configured to deny access to the /_vti_pvt/ path. Check for URLScan.ini settings or IIS Request Filtering deny rules.Affected if No URLScan or request filtering rules exist to block or deny access to the /_vti_pvt/ virtual directory.
A server is affected if it is running IIS 5.1 with FrontPage Server Extensions installed and the /_vti_pvt/ directory and its sensitive configuration files are accessible over HTTP without restriction.
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 dataDisable or remove FrontPage Server Extensions if not required, or configure IIS to block access to the /_vti_pvt/ directory and its contents via URLScan or request filtering rules.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2002-1717 — 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-2002-1717 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
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