CVE-2004-0009
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 · uneditedApache-SSL 1.3.28+1.52 and earlier, with SSLVerifyClient set to 1 or 3 and SSLFakeBasicAuth enabled, allows remote attackers to forge a client certificate by using basic authentication with the "one-line DN" of the target user.
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 confidenceThis vulnerability in Apache-SSL versions 1.3.28+1.52 and earlier allows remote attackers to forge client certificates when SSLVerifyClient is set to 1 (optional) or 3 (required) in combination with SSLFakeBasicAuth enabled. The attacker can impersonate valid users by providing a 'one-line DN' (Distinguished Name) of the target user in basic authentication, bypassing proper certificate verification.
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<= 1.3.28_1.52CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify Apache-SSL versionRun 'apache -v' or 'apachectl -v' to determine the installed Apache-SSL version. Check if it is 1.3.28+1.52 or earlier.Affected if The installed version is 1.3.28+1.52 or any earlier version.
-
Locate SSL configuration fileLocate the Apache-SSL configuration file containing SSL directives, typically in httpd.conf, ssl.conf, or a included config file under conf/ssl/ or similar.Affected if A configuration file exists with SSL-related directives.
-
Check if SSLFakeBasicAuth is enabledSearch the SSL configuration file for 'SSLFakeBasicAuth' directive. If present and not commented out, it is enabled.Affected if SSLFakeBasicAuth is present and enabled in the configuration.
-
Check SSLVerifyClient settingSearch the SSL configuration for 'SSLVerifyClient' directive and note its value. Values of 1 (optional) or 3 (required) are affected.Affected if SSLVerifyClient is set to 1 or 3.
A user is affected if they run Apache-SSL version 1.3.28+1.52 or earlier with both SSLFakeBasicAuth enabled AND SSLVerifyClient set to 1 or 3.
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 SSLFakeBasicAuth if not required, or upgrade Apache-SSL to a version beyond 1.3.28+1.52. Ensure SSLVerifyClient is properly configured based on security requirements.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing2.0 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 $2,272.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2004-0009 — 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-2004-0009 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data