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OSSEC / HIDS Rule 62816

OSSEC / HIDS rule catalog

  • Rule family: OSSEC / HIDS
  • Rule ID: 62816
  • Definition status: Present in current source
  • Alert message / subject: Internal Server Error. The server encountered an unexpected condition which prevented it from fulfilling the request.
  • Rule level: 5
  • Definition checked: 2026-10-21

Interpretation and response

This event is recorded as “Internal Server Error. The server encountered an unexpected condition which prevented it from fulfilling the request.” Review the originating log and the affected host or service to determine whether the activity was expected.

An OSSEC/HIDS event records or correlates activity. Blocking depends on the originating application and any separately configured Active Response policy; an alert alone does not prove that an attack was blocked.

Documentation

The following guidance was migrated from the historical wiki and reviewed against the rule definition. Legacy ASL product names and interface instructions refer to the versions documented then. Use the current metadata above and your installed configuration when interpreting thresholds, notification settings and response behavior.

Description

The webserver has returned a 500 error code. This is an internal server error

What you should do

This means the webserver is returning a hard internal error message, it is the highest severity error message a webserver can return. The causes for this include failing hardware, misconfigured settings, lack of resources, and indicators of compromise. Investigate the webserver and see if there are more detailed error messages that can help you identify the root cause.

Troubleshooting

False Positives

A legitimate event may still trigger this rule. Review the surrounding activity before deciding whether it is malicious.

Tuning Guidance

There is no guidance for tuning this rule, this is a generic webserver error and the rule should not be disabled.

Additional Information

Support

If you are unsure about how to respond to this alert, please contact Atomicorp support. We’re here to help you!

Source and revision

Migrated from HIDS_62816, wiki page 839, revision 6204 (20201022). Documentation review: 2026-10-21. An archived wiki status of Active is not a current deployment status.

For assistance, provide the rule ID, installed product and rule version, and a sanitized event to Atomicorp support .