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Apache WebserverWeb server / proxy · Apache

CVE-2008-2717

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-06-16
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable 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
TYPO3 4.0.x before 4.0.9, 4.1.x before 4.1.7, and 4.2.x before 4.2.1, uses an insufficiently restrictive default fileDenyPattern for Apache, which allows remote attackers to bypass security restrictions and upload configuration files such as .htaccess, or conduct file upload attacks using multiple extensions.

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

TYPO3 versions 4.0.x before 4.0.9, 4.1.x before 4.1.7, and 4.2.x before 4.2.1 use an insufficiently restrictive default fileDenyPattern for Apache. This allows remote attackers to bypass security restrictions by uploading configuration files such as .htaccess or leveraging multiple file extensions to upload malicious files.

MitigationUpdate to TYPO3 4.0.9, 4.1.7, or 4.2.1 or later, and configure a restrictive fileDenyPattern in Apache to deny dangerous file types including .htaccess and files with double extensions.

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
Apache WebserverWeb server / proxy
Affected:all versions
TYPO3CMS
Affected:= 4.0= 4.0.1= 4.0.2= 4.0.3= 4.0.4= 4.0.5= 4.0.6= 4.0.7= 4.0.8= 4.1= 4.1.1= 4.1.2

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
Single
Confidentiality
Partial
Integrity
Partial
Availability
Partial

AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/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. Identify if TYPO3 is installed
    Check for the presence of the 'typo3' directory or characteristic TYPO3 files (such as 'typo3/sysext/core/mod/index.php' or 'typo3conf/localconf.php') in the web root.
    Affected if TYPO3 is present on the server.
  2. Determine the installed TYPO3 version
    Read the TYPO3 version file, typically located at 'typo3/sysext/core/Documentation/Changelog.txt' or check the VERSION file in the typo3 directory. Alternatively, query the 'TYPO3_VERSION' constant if access to the source is available.
    Affected if The installed version is 4.0.x before 4.0.9, 4.1.x before 4.1.7, or 4.2.x before 4.2.1.
  3. Verify the file upload feature is enabled
    Check the TYPO3 backend under 'User Admin > Backend Users' or inspect the 'fileDenyPattern' setting in the Apache configuration files (httpd.conf, .htaccess, or included configuration files).
    Affected if File uploads are permitted and the fileDenyPattern allows .htaccess or dangerous file extensions.
  4. Inspect the Apache fileDenyPattern configuration
    Search Apache configuration files for the 'fileDenyPattern' directive. Run: grep -r 'fileDenyPattern' /etc/apache2/ or locate the relevant httpd.conf files. Look for patterns that do NOT include '\.htaccess' or do NOT block double extensions.
    Affected if The pattern is missing '\.htaccess' or fails to restrict dangerous extensions like '.php\.'.
  5. Test for .htaccess upload capability
    If you have access to the TYPO3 file upload functionality (typically through the 'file' module in the backend), attempt to upload a test file named '.htaccess' to the uploads/ directory via the web interface.
    Affected if The .htaccess file is successfully uploaded, indicating the restriction is not enforced.

A system is affected if it runs a vulnerable TYPO3 version (4.0.x before 4.0.9, 4.1.x before 4.1.7, or 4.2.x before 4.2.1) AND the Apache fileDenyPattern does not explicitly block .htaccess files and dangerous double extensions.

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

Update to TYPO3 4.0.9, 4.1.7, or 4.2.1 or later, and configure a restrictive fileDenyPattern in Apache to deny dangerous file types including .htaccess and files with double extensions.

Fix this in Apache Webserver Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
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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-2008-2717 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