DOCUMENT:Q176113 16-APR-2000 [iis] TITLE :BUG: Set-Cookie Is Ignored in CGI When Combined With Location PRODUCT :Internet Information Server PROD/VER:winnt:3.0,4.0,5.0 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS:kbDSupport kbiis300bug kbiis400bug kbiis500bug ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Internet Information Server versions 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SYMPTOMS ======== When a CGI application sends a Set-Cookie header with "302 Object Moved" response and Location header, Internet Information Server (IIS) ignores the cookie header. RESOLUTION ========== This behavior is in violation of the CGI specification, which states, "Any headers that are not server directives are sent directly back to the client. Currently, this specification defines three server directives..." As a workaround, make sure the file name of the EXE begins with "nph-" and manually create all HTTP headers in your program. "nph-" indicates to the server that the CGI program is to be run in non-parsed headers mode. CGI has two modes. In normal mode (parsed headers), you must send one of the CGI directives to standard output (Content-type, Location, or Status). CGI formats a valid HTTP response line based on the directive you sent. It formats other standard HTTP headers for you, and it should include any other headers that you have specified. The other mode is non-parsed header mode. In this mode CGI does not set any headers itself. The CGI program must format a full HTTP response including the response line and all headers. The server will not add or modify any headers for you in this mode. The convention is that a CGI program whose name begins with "nph-" is run in non-parsed header mode; otherwise, CGI programs are run in parsed header mode. STATUS ====== Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. MORE INFORMATION ================ Steps to Reproduce Behavior --------------------------- Compile this CGI program as a Win32 Console Application and place it in a folder on your IIS server where it can be executed: #include int main() { printf("Location: %s\r\n", "http://www.yahoo.com"); printf("Set-Cookie: Name1=Value1; path=/; expires=Fri, 22 May 1998 21:00:00 GMT\r\n\r\n"); return 0; } Call the CGI program from your browser and observe its output (via Network Monitor, for example). It will be similar to this: HTTP/1.0 302 Object moved Location: http://www.yahoo.com Server: Microsoft-IIS/2.0 Content-Type: text/html Content-Length: 145 Document moved

Object Moved

This document may be found here Note that the Set-Cookie header has not been sent by IIS. If you have cookie warnings turned on in your browser, no warning appears. To allow a cookie to be set in a 302 response, use code similar to the following, and prefix "nph-" to the name of the executable file: #include int main() { printf("HTTP/1.0 302 Redirect\r\n"); printf("Location: %s\r\n", "http://www.yahoo.com"); printf("Set-Cookie: Name=Value; path=/; expires=Fri, 22 May 1998 21:00:00 GMT\r\n\r\n"); return 0; } The output is similar to the following. Note that the cookie is now sent, and no headers are added by the server. HTTP/1.0 302 Redirect Location: http://www.yahoo.com Set-Cookie: Name=Value; path=/; expires=Fri, 22 May 1998 21:00:00 GMT REFERENCES ========== (c) Microsoft Corporation 1997, All Rights Reserved. Contributions by Leon Braginski, Microsoft Corporation Additional query words: ====================================================================== Keywords : kbDSupport kbiis300bug kbiis400bug kbiis500bug Technology : kbiisSearch kbiis500 kbiis400 kbiis300 Version : winnt:3.0,4.0,5.0 Issue type : kbbug Solution Type : kbnofix ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 2000.