CVE-1999-0266 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting the info2www CGI script, which was published in 1998. The vulnerability allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to perform remote file access or remote command execution via the CGI script. This means that an attacker can potentially read arbitrary files on the affected server or execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the web server process. The CVSS score of 7.5 (AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P) indicates that the vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network without any authentication, requires low attack complexity, and impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Since the info2www script is a CGI program, it is typically hosted on web servers, and exploitation could lead to full compromise of the affected system. No patches are available for this vulnerability, and there are no known exploits in the wild, likely due to the age of the vulnerability and the obsolescence of the affected software. However, if legacy systems still run info2www, they remain at risk. The vulnerability is critical for any environment where info2www is deployed, as it allows attackers to gain unauthorized access and control over the system remotely.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability depends largely on whether legacy systems running the info2www CGI script are still in use. In environments where info2www is deployed, exploitation could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, modification or destruction of data, and disruption of services due to arbitrary command execution. This could affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability of critical systems. Given the remote and unauthenticated nature of the exploit, attackers could leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access or pivot within the network. European organizations in sectors with legacy infrastructure, such as government, manufacturing, or critical infrastructure, might be particularly vulnerable if they have not decommissioned or isolated such outdated software. The lack of patches means organizations must rely on compensating controls to mitigate risk. The potential for data breaches or service outages could have regulatory and reputational consequences under GDPR and other European data protection laws.

Since no official patches are available for CVE-1999-0266, European organizations should focus on the following specific mitigations: 1) Identify and inventory all systems running the info2www CGI script through network and application scanning. 2) Immediately isolate or decommission any servers hosting info2www to prevent exposure to external networks. 3) If decommissioning is not feasible, restrict access to the affected CGI script using network segmentation, firewall rules, or web application firewalls (WAF) to limit access only to trusted internal users. 4) Employ intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) to monitor for suspicious requests targeting the CGI script. 5) Consider replacing the info2www functionality with modern, supported software that does not have known vulnerabilities. 6) Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing to ensure no legacy vulnerable services remain exposed. 7) Implement strict access controls and logging to detect and respond to any exploitation attempts promptly.