4.26 Web Server General Vulnerabilities

There are many general vulnerabilities on Web servers such as Microsoft's IIS, Netscape, Apache, and others. Since these systems are accessible from the Internet, they have been targets for attackers. IIS seems to have been a favorite target for hackers, but most complex Web servers also have vulnerabilities associated with them. The vendors are very responsive in providing patches to address new vulnerabilities as they are discovered. However, if the patch is not applied quickly, the system is at risk. A quick search for exploits associated with each of these Web-hosting applications yields several responses. Many of these Web exploits enable attackers to gain administrative privileges over the server.

Many of the popular vulnerability scanners are fairly accurate in detecting vulnerabilities on Web servers. However, the safest way to ensure protection is to keep up to date on the system patches.