CVE-2010-0266 is a vulnerability that affected the Apache HTTP Server software from version 1.3.9 up to and including 1.3.41, as well as Apache 2.0 versions up to and including 2.2.14. The vulnerability was caused by the way these servers handled requests with both "Transfer-Encoding: chunked" and "Content-Length" headers, which could result in remote attackers being able to read arbitrary files on the server or execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the server.
The vulnerability was discovered by security researcher Evgeny Legerov in December 2009 and publicly disclosed in January 2010. In response, the Apache Software Foundation released patches for both the 1.3.x and 2.0.x branches of the software on January 19, 2010. However, despite the availability of patches, it was reported that the vulnerability was being actively exploited in the wild by some attackers.
Organizations running affected versions of Apache HTTP Server were advised to update their software as soon as possible to mitigate the risk posed by this vulnerability. The incident highlights the importance of prompt software updates and patch management practices in maintaining system security. It also highlights the need for continued vigilance in detecting and responding to new vulnerabilities as they are discovered.