Apache mod_rewrite REDIRECT_STATUS condition causing directory listing

Question

I have the following htaccess rewrite rules. The one rule condition to prevent looping was originally written this way:

RewriteCond %{ENV:REDIRECT_STATUS} ^.         


        

Answer 1

You have this condition to stop looping:

## Internal Redirect Loop Protection
RewriteCond %{ENV:REDIRECT_STATUS} 200
RewriteRule ^ - [L]

This works by checking internal Apache variable %{ENV:REDIRECT_STATUS}. This variable is empty at the start of rewrite module but is set to 200 when first successful internal rewrite happens. This above condition says bail out of further rewrites after first successful rewrite and stops looping.