dbcve.org
HTTP ServerWeb server / proxy · Apache

CVE-2020-11984

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-08-07
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 8.2.2 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
High EPSS Public exploit 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
Apache HTTP server 2.4.32 to 2.4.44 mod_proxy_uwsgi info disclosure and possible RCE

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
How this class of weakness works · CWE-120

A fixed-size buffer is filled without checking the length of the incoming data, so it overflows into neighbouring memory. This is the classic overflow attackers use to overwrite return addresses and hijack execution. The fix is strict length checks and safe, bounded string and memory functions.

General guidance for the classic buffer overflow class — the official description and references above are authoritative for this specific CVE. Want a bespoke review and a reviewed fix? Ask our team →

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:>= 2.4.32, <= 2.4.43
Ubuntu LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 16.04= 18.04= 20.04
Debian LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 9.0= 10.0
FedoraOperating system
Affected:= 31= 32
Clustered Data OntapApplication
Affected:all versions
LeapOperating system
Affected:= 15.1= 15.2
Communications Element ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 8.2.0, <= 8.2.2
Communications Session Report ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 8.2.0, <= 8.2.2

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
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 8.2.2
Recommended fix High confidence

Apache HTTP Server 2.4.44 or later (current stable is 2.4.62 as of late 2024)

  1. 1. Identify the Apache HTTP Server version currently installed (httpd -v or apache2 -v)
  2. 2. For Debian/Ubuntu systems: Run 'apt-get update' followed by 'apt-get install apache2' to obtain the latest available package
  3. 3. For Red Hat/Fedora systems: Run 'dnf update httpd' or 'yum update httpd'
  4. 4. For SUSE Leap systems: Run 'zypper update apache2'
  5. 5. After upgrading, verify the new version is 2.4.44 or later: 'httpd -v' or 'apache2 -v'
  6. 6. Restart the Apache service: 'systemctl restart httpd' (or 'systemctl restart apache2' on Debian/Ubuntu)
  7. 7. If immediate upgrade is not possible, disable the uwsgi proxy module by commenting out 'LoadModule proxy_uwsgi_module modules/mod_proxy_uwsgi.so' in httpd.conf and restart Apache
Caveat Ensure any custom uwsgi proxy configurations are reviewed after upgrade; mod_proxy_uwsgi behavior changes may require configuration adjustments

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

We can identify the exact fixed release, upgrade, and verify it in staging — typical engagement from $3,550. Get the upgrade done

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-11984 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2020-11984 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data