Using PATH_INFO and PATH_TRANSLATED from CGI Applications

• Microsoft Internet Information Server version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

CGI applications often use the HTTP variables PATH_INFO and PATH_TRANSLATED. However, these may appear to work incorrectly in Internet Information Server (IIS) version 4.0. These CGI environment variables return the physical path to the file that was passed to the CGI application as part of the GET statement. Instead, IIS returns the path to the CGI script.

CAUSE

This is by design, for security purposes. PATH_INFO and PATH_TRANSLATED can be used to get information about the physical makeup of the Web server and thus be used to mount an attack against the server.

WORKAROUND

If you want to use PATH_INFO and PATH_TRANSLATED as specified by the CGI specification, then use the AllowPathInfoForScriptMappings property. This property can be set using the Adsutil.vbs tool or the MetaEdit.exe tool, which comes with the Internet Information Server 4.0 Resource Kit. Using this property, you can set a Web server to allow or disallow the use of the variables.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information, refer to AllowPathInfoForScriptMappings in the online documentation.

Keywords :
Version : WINNT:4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbprb