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HTTP ServerWeb server / proxy · Apache

CVE-2010-2791

MEDIUM · 5.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2010-08-05
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
59/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
mod_proxy in httpd in Apache HTTP Server 2.2.9, when running on Unix, does not close the backend connection if a timeout occurs when reading a response from a persistent connection, which allows remote attackers to obtain a potentially sensitive response intended for a different client in opportunistic circumstances via a normal HTTP request. NOTE: this is the same issue as CVE-2010-2068, but for a different OS and set of affected versions.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

In Apache HTTP Server 2.2.9 on Unix, mod_proxy fails to close backend connections when a timeout occurs while reading a response from a persistent (keep-alive) connection. This leaves the connection in the pool with potentially sensitive response data from a previous request, which can be leaked to subsequent unrelated clients through normal HTTP requests.

MitigationUpgrade Apache HTTP Server to a version that includes the fix for this vulnerability, or apply the relevant vendor patch. Consider disabling backend connection pooling as a temporary workaround if upgrade is not immediately feasible.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
HTTP ServerWeb server / proxy
Affected:= 2.2.9

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Partial
Integrity
None
Availability
None

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Apache HTTP Server version
    Run 'httpd -v' or 'apache2 -v' to determine the installed Apache version
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 2.2.9
  2. Verify mod_proxy module is loaded
    Run 'httpd -M' or 'apache2ctl -M' and search for 'proxy_module' in the output, or check config files for 'LoadModule proxy_module'
    Affected if mod_proxy is loaded and available
  3. Confirm proxy configuration exists
    Search configuration files (httpd.conf, include files) for any ProxyPass, ProxyPassReverse, or other proxy-related directives
    Affected if Proxy configuration is present and mod_proxy is in use
  4. Check for keep-alive backend connections
    Inspect proxy configuration for 'ProxyKeepAlive On' directive or verify that the backend supports persistent connections
    Affected if Keep-alive is enabled for backend connections (default behavior when not explicitly disabled)

You are affected if you are running Apache HTTP Server 2.2.9 with mod_proxy enabled and configured to proxy requests to backends using keep-alive connections.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade Apache HTTP Server to a version that includes the fix for this vulnerability, or apply the relevant vendor patch. Consider disabling backend connection pooling as a temporary workaround if upgrade is not immediately feasible.

Fix this in HTTP Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2010-2791 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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