CVE-2019-16278
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 · uneditedDirectory Traversal in the function http_verify in nostromo nhttpd through 1.9.6 allows an attacker to achieve remote code execution via a crafted HTTP request.
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 confidenceDirectory traversal vulnerability in the http_verify function of nostromo nhttpd versions through 1.9.6 allows attackers to traverse outside the web root directory via specially crafted HTTP requests containing path traversal sequences (../), potentially leading to arbitrary code execution.
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< 1.9.7CVSS 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
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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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Locate the nostromo nhttpd binaryRun 'which nhttpd' or 'which nhttpd' and check common directories like /usr/sbin/, /usr/local/bin/, or /bin/. Also check if the package manager shows it installed (e.g., 'dpkg -l | grep nostromo' or 'rpm -qa | grep -i nhttpd').Affected if The nhttpd binary is found on the system, indicating nostromo nhttpd is installed.
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Determine the installed versionRun 'nhttpd -v' or 'nhttpd -V' to display the version. Alternatively, check the package version if installed via a package manager.Affected if The version number is 1.9.6 or lower, which falls within the vulnerable range (< 1.9.7).
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Verify the http_verify function is in useConfirm the nhttpd service is running (e.g., 'ps aux | grep nhttpd' or check process status). The http_verify function is the core request validation function in nhttpd and is always active when the service handles HTTP requests.Affected if The nhttpd service is running and processing HTTP requests, meaning the vulnerable http_verify function is in use.
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Check for exposed network accessReview firewall rules or nhttpd configuration to determine if the web server port (default 80/8080) is accessible from network interfaces other than localhost. Check using 'netstat -tlnp | grep nhttpd' or 'ss -tlnp | grep nhttpd'.Affected if The nhttpd web server is listening on a publicly accessible IP or network interface, allowing remote attackers to send malicious HTTP requests.
A user is affected if nostromo nhttpd version 1.9.6 or lower is installed and running with network accessibility, enabling attackers to exploit the http_verify function via directory traversal sequences in HTTP requests.
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.
dbcve · scoped1.9.7
Upgrade nostromo nhttpd to version 1.9.7 or later which contains the patch for this vulnerability. As an immediate compensating control, restrict network exposure of the affected service.
Nostromo Nhttpd 1.9.7
- 1. Back up the current Nostromo Nhttpd configuration files and data
- 2. Download Nostromo Nhttpd version 1.9.7 from the official source
- 3. Stop the Nostromo Nhttpd service
- 4. Replace the existing installation with the updated version 1.9.7
- 5. Restore the backed-up configuration files
- 6. Start the Nostromo Nhttpd service
- 7. Verify the service is running correctly and the vulnerability is patched
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,096.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-16278 — 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-2019-16278 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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- 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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