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HTTP ServerWeb server / proxy · Apache

CVE-2003-0016

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v2.0 Published 2003-02-07
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
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
Apache before 2.0.44, when running on unpatched Windows 9x and Me operating systems, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or execute arbitrary code via an HTTP request containing MS-DOS device names.

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

Apache HTTP Server before version 2.0.44 contains a vulnerability when running on unpatched Windows 9x and Me operating systems. Remote attackers can send HTTP requests containing MS-DOS device names (such as CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, and others) to cause a denial of service or potentially execute arbitrary code. This exploits how older Windows kernel versions handle requests to reserved device names.

MitigationUpgrade Apache HTTP Server to version 2.0.44 or later. For systems running Windows 9x/Me, strongly consider migrating to supported operating systems as these Windows versions are no longer supported and have known kernel-level vulnerabilities.

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:= 2.0.36= 2.0.37= 2.0.38= 2.0.39= 2.0.40= 2.0.41= 2.0.42= 2.0.43

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
Partial
Availability
Partial

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/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 checks

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

  1. Verify Windows OS version
    Run 'winver' or check System Properties to confirm the operating system is Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Me. On the command line, 'ver' will show version strings like 'Windows 95' or 'Windows 98'.
    Affected if The operating system is Windows 9x (95/98) or Windows Me - this vulnerability only affects these older Windows versions.
  2. Determine installed Apache version
    Run 'httpd -v' or 'apache -v' from the Apache bin directory, or check the version displayed when starting Apache. Alternatively, check the ServerTokens or ServerSignature output in HTTP response headers.
    Affected if The Apache version is 2.0.36, 2.0.37, 2.0.38, 2.0.39, 2.0.40, 2.0.41, 2.0.42, or 2.0.43.
  3. Confirm combined conditions
    Verify that BOTH conditions are true: (1) the OS is Windows 9x/Me AND (2) Apache version is 2.0.36-2.0.43. Both must be present for exploitation.
    Affected if The server runs Apache 2.0.36-2.0.43 on Windows 9x/Me, making it vulnerable to malformed HTTP requests with MS-DOS device names.

If Apache HTTP Server versions 2.0.36 through 2.0.43 is installed on Windows 95, 98, or Me, the system is affected by this vulnerability.

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

Upgrade Apache HTTP Server to version 2.0.44 or later. For systems running Windows 9x/Me, strongly consider migrating to supported operating systems as these Windows versions are no longer supported and have known kernel-level vulnerabilities.

Fix this in HTTP Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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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-2003-0016 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
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