[CentOS] Apache Security

[mike.redan at bell.ca]

Hello, I have a server running CentOS 4.3 with all the latest updates. 
The server in question has been hacked by spammers a few times.  The 
details of the hack have been basically the same every time.  I find 
some directory created by the apache user account in /tmp.  The new 
directory contains an html file, and a list of email addresses to spam 
and a perl script that spams all those email addresses with the html
file.

My question is why is this happening?  Obviously it's some apache 
exploit.  

Why is this obvious? What else is exposed to the internet on this
server? They could be coming in another way, then creating files owned
by the apache user to make it look like an Apache problem.
Is SSH exposed to the internet? Maybe there is a user with a weak
password or something.

I have removed mod_perl, that didn't help.  I have now changed 
the permissions on the perl executable, that might help we will see, but

that doesn't address the core problem.  How is it that someone can 
upload arbitrary files to my server and then execute an arbitrary 
command via apache.

What is exposed via apache? Are there any custom applications/CGI's?


Is this a know problem?  Have others seen it?  What can I do to help 
prevent this?

Thanks,

Matt
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