Settings May Not Be Applied with URL with Short Filename (179148)

SYMPTOMS

Microsoft has been made aware of an issue in Internet Information Server (IIS) 4.0 and Personal Web Server (PWS) 4.0 in which certain configuration settings may not be applied when a URL with short file name equivalents is requested. These configuration setting include restricting access by IP address, PICS ratings, and requiring SSL encryption. Windows NT file permissions (ACLs) are not affected.

Users are able to access certain directories or files through IIS 4.0 or PWS 4.0 and bypass specific security settings, such as SSL encryption.

CAUSE

The Windows NT and Windows 95 file systems (FAT, FAT32, and NTFS) support file names of up to 255 characters. To maintain compatibility with older, non 32-bit applications, a short file name (called the 8.3 file name) is created for each file. This short file name equivalent is used by older applications to access directories and files with long names. IIS 4.0 and PWS 4.0 maintain certain configuration information about directories and files in a database called the metabase. The metabase does not contain file permissions, but rather Web server-specific information such as requiring SSL encryption, proxy cache setting, and PICS ratings. Actual file and directory permissions are enforced by NTFS and are not affected by this problem.

In certain cases when a URL is requested using the short file name, it is possible that configuration properties specified in the metabase may not be applied as expected. This issue only occurs where long file names are used for directories or files, and specific metabase configuration properties are set on those directories or files. File permissions by a user or group using NTFS access control lists (ACL) are not affected.

RESOLUTION

Windows NT Server or Workstation 4.0

NOTE: The supported fix is for IIS and PWS on Windows NT Workstation. A fix for PWS on Microsoft Windows 95 is still pending.

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0 or the individual software update. For information on obtaining the latest service pack, please go to:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/servicepacks/ -or-
152734 how to obtain the latest windows nt 4.0 service pack

For information on obtaining the individual software update, contact Microsoft Product Support Services. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information on support costs, please go to the following address on the World Wide Web:

http://support.microsoft.com/directory/overview.asp

Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

152734 How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack

MORE INFORMATION

After you apply the fix, if an 8.3 file or directory name for an equivalent long file or directory name is used in the URL, the following message occurs:

HTTP Error 404
404 Not Found
The Web server cannot find the file or script you asked for. Please check the URL to ensure that the path is correct.
Please contact the server's administrator if this problem persists.