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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →A 2006 security report about Advanced Web Statistics (AWStats), a website-log analyzer, described two distinct risks: command execution on a server when web-based statistics updates were enabled, and a separate cross-site scripting (XSS) issue that could affect report viewers. The findings were historical; their affected package versions and fixes applied to specific Linux distributions and releases at the time.
What was the AWStats flaw?
In a June 9, 2006 report, Dark Reading’s Tim Wilson described a flaw involving AWStats’ migrate parameter. Security researcher Hendrik Weimer summarized the input-validation problem as: “AWStats fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input in awstats.pl.” According to the report and distribution advisories, a pipe character in that parameter could reach an unsafe Perl open call, creating a command-execution path.
The server-side risk was conditional: an installation had to allow statistics updates through AWStats’ web front end. When that feature was enabled, an attacker could potentially execute arbitrary code in the context of the AWStats CGI process. This was not a claim that every AWStats installation allowed remote command execution.
How did the configuration affect the risk?
| Configuration or impact | What the historical sources say |
|---|---|
| Web-front-end statistics updates enabled | The migrate-parameter issue could permit server-side code execution in the AWStats CGI process. Gentoo said disabling web-front-end updates mitigated this command-injection path. Gentoo advisory |
| Static-page generation only | Ubuntu said installations used only to build static pages were not affected by the described command-execution issue. That qualification does not rule out the separate XSS finding. Ubuntu notice |
| Separate XSS vulnerability | Gentoo described a browser-side XSS risk affecting all configurations; it was distinct from the conditional server-side command-execution issue. Gentoo advisory |
The two impacts should not be conflated: command execution concerned the server and depended on a particular update configuration, while XSS could affect a client’s browser. Gentoo associated CVE-2006-2237 with the command-execution issue and listed CVE-2006-1945 alongside its XSS finding.
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Which AWStats releases were affected, and what fixed them?
The affected and corrected package boundaries varied by distribution. These are historical package versions from 2006, not current upgrade instructions.
| Distribution and release | Historical affected range or fixed package | Advisory guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Gentoo | Versions below 6.5-r1 were affected; 6.5-r1 and later were marked unaffected. | Upgrade to at least 6.5-r1. Gentoo advisory |
| Debian stable (sarge) | 6.4-1sarge2 was listed as the fix. | Upgrade the AWStats package. Debian DSA 1058-1 |
| Debian unstable (sid) | 6.5-2 was listed as the fix. | Upgrade the AWStats package. Debian DSA 1058-1 |
| Ubuntu 5.04 | 6.3-1ubuntu0.2 was the corrected version. | A standard system upgrade was generally sufficient. Ubuntu USN-285-1 |
| Ubuntu 5.10 | 6.4-1ubuntu1.1 was the corrected version. | A standard system upgrade was generally sufficient. Ubuntu USN-285-1 |
What did the historical workaround address?
Gentoo recommended disabling statistics updates through the web front end as a workaround for server-side code injection. That addressed the command-execution condition, not the separate XSS issue; Gentoo said there was no known workaround for XSS at the time. The advisories’ remediation was to install the appropriate distribution package update.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What should AWStats users check now?
The 2006 advisories cannot establish whether a particular server is vulnerable today. That depends on its installed package, configuration, and updates since then. Do not treat the historical version numbers above as present-day recommendations. Check the security notices and package information for the Linux distribution and release actually running on the server, and determine whether web-front-end statistics updates are enabled.
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