Base weakness

Incomplete

CWE-178: Improper Handling of Case Sensitivity

The product does not properly account for differences in case sensitivity when accessing or determining the properties of a resource, leading to inconsistent results.

Recorded CVEs

With this primary weakness

KEVs

In the CISA KEV catalog

Not rated

Likelihood of exploit

Per MITRE

Base

Abstraction

MITRE classification

Overview

Improperly handled case sensitive data can lead to several possible consequences, including: case-insensitive passwords reducing the size of the key space, making brute force attacks easier bypassing filters or access controls using alternate names multiple interpretation errors using alternate names.

Illustrative examples

Real CVEs that MITRE cites as examples of this weakness.

CVE-2000-0499 — Application server allows attackers to bypass execution of a jsp page and read the source code using an upper case JSP extension in the request.
CVE-2000-0497 — The server is case sensitive, so filetype handlers treat .jsp and .JSP as different extensions. JSP source code may be read because .JSP defaults to the filetype "text".
CVE-2000-0498 — The server is case sensitive, so filetype handlers treat .jsp and .JSP as different extensions. JSP source code may be read because .JSP defaults to the filetype "text".
CVE-2001-0766 — A URL that contains some characters whose case is not matched by the server's filters may bypass access restrictions because the case-insensitive file system will then handle the request after it bypasses the case sensitive filter.
CVE-2001-0795 — Server allows remote attackers to obtain source code of CGI scripts via URLs that contain MS-DOS conventions such as (1) upper case letters or (2) 8.3 file names.
CVE-2001-1238 — Task Manager does not allow local users to end processes with uppercase letters named (1) winlogon.exe, (2) csrss.exe, (3) smss.exe and (4) services.exe via the Process tab which could allow local users to install Trojan horses that cannot be stopped.
CVE-2003-0411 — chain: Code was ported from a case-sensitive Unix platform to a case-insensitive Windows platform where filetype handlers treat .jsp and .JSP as different extensions. JSP source code may be read because .JSP defaults to the filetype "text".
CVE-2002-0485 — Leads to interpretation error
CVE-1999-0239 — Directories may be listed because lower case web requests are not properly handled by the server.
CVE-2005-0269 — File extension check in forum software only verifies extensions that contain all lowercase letters, which allows remote attackers to upload arbitrary files via file extensions that include uppercase letters.
CVE-2004-1083 — Web server restricts access to files in a case sensitive manner, but the filesystem accesses files in a case insensitive manner, which allows remote attackers to read privileged files using alternate capitalization.
CVE-2002-2119 — Case insensitive passwords lead to search space reduction.
CVE-2004-2214 — HTTP server allows bypass of access restrictions using URIs with mixed case.
CVE-2004-2154 — Mixed upper/lowercase allows bypass of ACLs.
CVE-2005-4509 — Bypass malicious script detection by using tokens that aren't case sensitive.
CVE-2002-1820 — Mixed case problem allows "admin" to have "Admin" rights (alternate name property).
CVE-2007-3365 — Chain: uppercase file extensions causes web server to return script source code instead of executing the script.
CVE-2021-39155 — Chain: A microservice integration and management platform compares the hostname in the HTTP Host header in a case-sensitive way (CWE-178, CWE-1289), allowing bypass of the authorization policy (CWE-863) using a hostname with mixed case or other variations.

CWE-178: Improper Handling of Case Sensitivity

Overview

Real-world CVEs

Common consequences

How it happens

When it is introduced

Applies to

How to prevent it

Code examples

Illustrative examples

Terminology & mappings

Mapped taxonomies

Frequently asked questions

What is CWE-178?

What CVEs are caused by CWE-178?

How do you prevent CWE-178?

What are the consequences of CWE-178?

Is CWE-178 actively exploited?

References

Stay ahead of CWE-178

Overview

Real-world CVEs

Common consequences

How it happens

When it is introduced

Applies to

How to prevent it

Code examples

Illustrative examples

Related weaknesses

Parent

Peer

Can precede

Terminology & mappings

Mapped taxonomies

Frequently asked questions

What is CWE-178?

What CVEs are caused by CWE-178?

How do you prevent CWE-178?

What are the consequences of CWE-178?

Is CWE-178 actively exploited?

References

Stay ahead of CWE-178