CVE-2003-0460 in HTTP Server
Summary
by MITRE
The rotatelogs program on Apache before 1.3.28, for Windows and OS/2 systems, does not properly ignore certain control characters that are received over the pipe, which could allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/13/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-0460 affects the rotatelogs utility distributed with Apache HTTP Server versions prior to 1.3.28 specifically targeting Windows and OS/2 operating systems. This issue resides in the program's handling of input data received through named pipes, where the software fails to adequately sanitize control characters that may be transmitted through these communication channels. The rotatelogs utility serves as a log rotation tool that helps manage log file sizes by automatically creating new log files when existing ones reach a specified size, making it an integral component of Apache's logging infrastructure on these platforms.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper filtering of control characters within the pipe input processing logic. Control characters, which are non-printable ASCII values ranging from 0x00 to 0x1F and 0x7F, are typically used for device control functions and should be properly handled or stripped during data processing. In this case, when rotatelogs receives input through named pipes, it does not effectively ignore or sanitize these control characters, allowing them to propagate through the system. This weakness creates a condition where remote attackers can craft malicious input containing control characters that, when processed by rotatelogs, can cause the program to behave unpredictably and potentially crash.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, as it represents a fundamental security flaw in how the utility processes external input. When attackers exploit this vulnerability, they can trigger a denial of service condition that disrupts the normal logging operations of the Apache server, potentially leading to complete logging failure and making system monitoring and forensic analysis more difficult. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects systems where Apache is used for web serving, as log rotation is essential for maintaining system stability and security monitoring. This issue falls under the CWE-170 weakness category, which deals with improper handling of control characters, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks through system resource exhaustion.
The vulnerability demonstrates a classic input validation failure where the system does not properly sanitize data before processing, creating an attack surface that allows for remote exploitation. The affected systems are those running Apache HTTP Server versions 1.3.27 and earlier on Windows or OS/2 platforms, making the attack vector particularly relevant for organizations maintaining legacy systems or those using older Apache versions. Organizations should immediately update to Apache 1.3.28 or later versions where this vulnerability has been addressed through proper input sanitization of control characters received over pipes. Additionally, system administrators should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure, while monitoring for unusual patterns in log file creation that might indicate exploitation attempts. The fix implemented in the patched versions ensures that control characters are properly filtered during pipe input processing, preventing the propagation of malicious input that could cause service disruption.