CVE-2000-0505 in HTTP Server
Summary
by MITRE
The Apache 1.3.x HTTP server for Windows platforms allows remote attackers to list directory contents by requesting a URL containing a large number of / characters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/18/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2000-0505 represents a directory traversal flaw in the Apache 1.3.x HTTP server implementation specifically affecting Windows platforms. This issue stems from the server's improper handling of URLs containing excessive forward slash characters, which creates a condition where the web server fails to properly sanitize or validate the requested path. The flaw allows remote attackers to manipulate the URL structure in a way that bypasses normal directory access controls and reveals directory listings that should otherwise be restricted.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves the way Apache 1.3.x on Windows processes URL paths containing multiple consecutive forward slashes. When a request is made with an excessive number of slash characters, the server's internal path resolution algorithm becomes confused and may interpret the malformed URL as a request to traverse directories in unintended ways. This occurs because the server's path normalization logic does not adequately handle edge cases involving excessive delimiter characters, creating a path traversal condition where the system returns directory contents rather than properly rejecting the malformed request.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant security risks to organizations running Apache 1.3.x servers on Windows systems. Attackers can exploit this flaw to gain unauthorized access to directory structures, potentially exposing sensitive files, configuration data, and application resources that should remain protected. The vulnerability essentially provides a method for information disclosure attacks where adversaries can enumerate directory contents without proper authentication or authorization. This information gathering capability can serve as a foundation for more sophisticated attacks, including identifying vulnerable applications, discovering backup files, or locating sensitive configuration information that could be used in subsequent exploitation attempts.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks. This weakness allows attackers to access files and directories outside of the intended directory structure, potentially leading to unauthorized data access and system compromise. The specific implementation on Windows platforms suggests this may involve issues with path normalization and string processing functions that handle multiple consecutive delimiters differently than expected. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability would map to techniques in the ATT&CK matrix under the reconnaissance phase, specifically focusing on credential access and privilege escalation through information gathering activities.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to Apache 1.3.27 or later versions where this issue has been resolved through proper path validation and normalization. The recommended approach involves configuring the server to reject requests containing excessive path delimiters or implementing proper input validation that sanitizes URL paths before processing. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls or intrusion prevention systems that can detect and block malformed URL requests containing excessive slash characters. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to ensure that all web server implementations properly handle edge cases in URL parsing and path resolution, particularly on platforms where such issues are known to occur.