Most Apache servers (dunno about others) are configured to run CGI scripts anywhere, if they have the .cgi (sometimes .pl) extention.

I just checked both a 1.x and a 2.x default configuration file, and neither of them are set up that way. The lines in the files exist, yes, but they're commented out. This default may be the case with some Linux or other vendor-supplied default configuration files, but it's not the case with the Apache-supplied defaults.

Also, doing that sort of wildcarding is a bad idea, IMO, because it can lead to unintended execution of files.