dbcve.org
HTTP ServerWeb server / proxy · Apache

CVE-2023-38709

HIGH · 7.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-04-04
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.4.59 / 14.6 or later.
See remediation →
82/100
Remediation priority · High
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
Faulty input validation in the core of Apache allows malicious or exploitable backend/content generators to split HTTP responses. This issue affects Apache HTTP Server: through 2.4.58.

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 · moderate confidence

This is an HTTP Response Splitting vulnerability in Apache HTTP Server's core caused by faulty input validation. Attackers can inject malicious headers or body content through backend/content generators, potentially enabling cross-site scripting (XSS), cache poisoning, or session hijacking by splitting HTTP responses.

MitigationUpgrade Apache HTTP Server to version 2.4.59 or later. If immediate patching is not feasible, validate and sanitize all user-supplied input before using it in HTTP headers, and implement strict input validation at application level.

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:< 2.4.59
Debian LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 10.0
FedoraOperating system
Affected:= 38= 39= 40
OntapApplication
Affected:= 9
Ontap ToolsApplication
Affected:= 10
Fabric Operating SystemOperating system
Affected:all versions
macOSOperating system
Affected:< 14.6

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
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
Low

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

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 installation
    Run 'httpd -v' or 'apache2 -v' to display the server version. On some systems, check '/usr/sbin/httpd -v' or '/usr/sbin/apache2 -v'. Check package manager with 'rpm -q httpd' or 'dpkg -l | grep apache'.
    Affected if The displayed version is less than 2.4.59 or the package version is earlier than the fixed release.
  2. Confirm Apache is actively running
    Run 'ps aux | grep -E "httpd|apache"' or check service status with 'systemctl status httpd' or 'systemctl status apache2' depending on your system.
    Affected if Apache is running and the version from step 1 is below 2.4.59.
  3. Check Apache binary location and version directly
    If httpd/apache command is not in PATH, locate binaries with 'find /usr -name "httpd" -o -name "apachectl" 2>/dev/null' then run the binary with -v flag.
    Affected if The binary version is below 2.4.59.
  4. For Debian-based systems (including Debian 10)
    Check installed package version with 'dpkg -l | grep -i apache' or 'apt list --installed | grep apache'. Compare to Debian security advisories for CVE-2023-38709.
    Affected if The installed apache2 package version is earlier than the security update for this CVE.
  5. For Fedora systems (versions 38, 39, 40)
    Check with 'rpm -q httpd' or 'dnf list installed httpd'. Review the installed version against Fedora update notifications for this CVE.
    Affected if The httpd package version is earlier than the patched version released for this CVE.
  6. Check NetApp ONTAP orONTAP Tools installations
    For NetApp ONTAP: check the embedded Service Processor or cluster web interface for Apache version. For ONTAP Tools: check the internal Apache component version if accessible or review NetApp advisory for version mapping.
    Affected if The NetApp product version matches the affected versions listed (ONTAP 9, ONTAP Tools 10) and contains the vulnerable Apache component.

Your environment is affected if Apache HTTP Server version less than 2.4.59 is installed and running, or if you use a listed distribution/product version that contains the vulnerable Apache component.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2.4.59 / 14.6 or later
Fixed in 2.4.5914.6
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Apache HTTP Server to version 2.4.59 or later. If immediate patching is not feasible, validate and sanitize all user-supplied input before using it in HTTP headers, and implement strict input validation at application level.

Recommended fix High confidence

Apache HTTP Server 2.4.59

  1. Identify the current Apache HTTP Server version using 'httpd -v' or 'apache2 -v'
  2. Stop the Apache HTTP Server service using 'systemctl stop httpd' or 'systemctl stop apache2'
  3. Update the Apache HTTP Server package to version 2.4.59 or later using the package manager (e.g., 'apt-get update && apt-get install apache2' for Debian/Ubuntu, 'yum update httpd' or 'dnf update httpd' for RHEL/Fedora)
  4. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the version with 'httpd -v' or 'apache2 -v'
  5. Restart the Apache HTTP Server service using 'systemctl start httpd' or 'systemctl start apache2'
  6. Verify the server is running correctly and serving content

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

Fix this in HTTP Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,760
Get the upgrade done

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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2023-38709 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data