CVE-1999-1030 is a vulnerability found in behold_software's web_page_counter product, version 2.7. The issue arises when the application processes an HTTP request that ends with a newline character encoded as %0A. This malformed input causes the counter.exe process to create a malformed entry in its log file, which subsequently triggers an access violation. The access violation leads to the application hanging, effectively causing a denial of service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability is exploitable remotely without authentication, as it only requires sending a specially crafted HTTP request to the affected server. The CVSS score of 5.0 (medium severity) reflects that the impact is limited to availability, with no direct confidentiality or integrity compromise. The vulnerability does not require user interaction and has low attack complexity. However, there is no patch available, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild, likely due to the age and obscurity of the software. The affected software is a web page counter utility, which is typically used to track website visits by logging HTTP requests. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and error handling when parsing HTTP requests, leading to a crash or hang in the logging component.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability depends heavily on whether the affected software (web_page_counter 2.7) is in use within their web infrastructure. Given the age of the software (published in 1999) and the niche functionality, it is unlikely to be widely deployed in modern environments. However, if legacy systems still use this software, an attacker could remotely cause denial of service by sending crafted HTTP requests, potentially disrupting web analytics or related services. This could affect availability of web counters or monitoring tools, possibly impacting operational awareness or reporting accuracy. While the direct impact on critical business functions is likely limited, denial of service conditions can be leveraged as part of broader attack campaigns or to cause disruption. European organizations with legacy web infrastructure or those in sectors with less frequent software updates (e.g., small businesses, educational institutions) might be more vulnerable. The lack of a patch means mitigation relies on other controls. The vulnerability does not expose sensitive data or allow code execution, so confidentiality and integrity impacts are minimal.

Since no patch is available for this vulnerability, European organizations should consider the following specific mitigations: 1) Identify and inventory any instances of behold_software's web_page_counter 2.7 in their environment, especially on public-facing web servers. 2) If the software is in use, isolate it behind web application firewalls (WAFs) or reverse proxies that can filter and block HTTP requests containing suspicious or malformed input such as trailing %0A characters. 3) Implement strict input validation and request normalization at the perimeter to prevent malformed requests from reaching the vulnerable application. 4) Consider disabling or removing the web_page_counter component if it is not essential, or replace it with a modern, actively maintained alternative. 5) Monitor web server logs for unusual HTTP requests ending with newline characters or signs of application hangs/crashes. 6) Employ network-level rate limiting to reduce the risk of denial of service attacks exploiting this vulnerability. 7) For legacy systems that cannot be upgraded, consider network segmentation to limit exposure to external threats. These mitigations go beyond generic advice by focusing on compensating controls and legacy system management.