CVE-1999-0279 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting Excite for Web Servers (EWS) version 1.1. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the affected server by leveraging shell metacharacters in user-supplied input. Specifically, the web server fails to properly sanitize input that is passed to the underlying shell, enabling an attacker to inject and execute commands remotely without any authentication. The vulnerability is network exploitable (AV:N), requires no authentication (Au:N), and can be triggered with low attack complexity (AC:L). The impact includes full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system, as attackers can execute arbitrary commands, potentially leading to data theft, system manipulation, or denial of service. Despite its age and the absence of a patch, there are no known exploits currently in the wild. However, the lack of remediation and the critical nature of the flaw make it a significant risk if the software is still in use.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability could be severe if Excite for Web Servers 1.1 is still deployed in any legacy systems. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, disruption of web services, and potential lateral movement within the network. This could result in data breaches affecting personal data protected under GDPR, leading to regulatory penalties and reputational damage. Additionally, compromised servers could be used as a foothold for further attacks or as part of botnets, amplifying the threat landscape. Given the vulnerability allows remote command execution without authentication, attackers could easily exploit exposed servers over the internet, posing a direct threat to organizations with externally facing web infrastructure running this software.

Since no official patch is available for this vulnerability, European organizations should prioritize immediate mitigation steps: 1) Identify and inventory any instances of Excite for Web Servers 1.1 in their environment, especially those exposed to external networks. 2) Decommission or isolate affected servers to prevent external access. 3) Implement network-level controls such as firewall rules to block access to vulnerable services. 4) Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious input containing shell metacharacters. 5) Consider migrating to modern, supported web server software that follows secure coding practices and receives regular security updates. 6) Monitor logs and network traffic for signs of exploitation attempts. 7) Educate IT staff about the risks of legacy software and the importance of timely upgrades and patching.