HTTP ServerWeb server / proxy · Apache
CVE-2024-38473
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 · uneditedEncoding problem in mod_proxy in Apache HTTP Server 2.4.59 and earlier allows request URLs with incorrect encoding to be sent to backend services, potentially bypassing authentication via crafted requests. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.4.60, which fixes this issue.
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 confidenceA URL encoding validation flaw in mod_proxy in Apache HTTP Server 2.4.59 and earlier allows maliciously crafted URLs with incorrect encoding to be passed through to backend services, potentially bypassing authentication mechanisms on those services.
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
>= 2.4.0, < 2.4.60= 9CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Determine Apache HTTP Server versionRun 'httpd -v' or 'apache2 -v' to get the installed version numberAffected if Version is less than 2.4.60 (e.g., 2.4.59, 2.4.58, etc.)
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Verify mod_proxy module is loadedRun 'httpd -M' or 'apache2ctl -M' and look for 'proxy_module' in the output, or check for 'LoadModule proxy_module' in configuration filesAffected if mod_proxy module is listed as loaded
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Check for active proxy configurationsSearch configuration files for 'ProxyPass' or 'ProxyPassMatch' directives, typically in httpd.conf or included files in conf/extra/Affected if ProxyPass or ProxyPassMatch directives point to backend services or applications
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Identify proxied backend servicesReview the ProxyPass/ProxyPassMatch target URLs to determine which backend services, APIs, or applications are exposed through the proxyAffected if Any backend service is reachable via the proxy configuration
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Check for authentication dependencies on proxied backendsReview configuration and documentation to determine if the proxied backend services rely on authentication that could be bypassed via malformed URL encodingAffected if Backend services behind the proxy use authentication that could be circumvented
You are affected if you run Apache HTTP Server version 2.4.0 through 2.4.59 with mod_proxy enabled and configured to proxy requests to backend services.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped2.4.60
Upgrade Apache HTTP Server to version 2.4.60 or later to patch the encoding validation issue in mod_proxy.
Apache HTTP Server 2.4.60
- Upgrade Apache HTTP Server from any version >= 2.4.0 and < 2.4.60 to version 2.4.60 or later
- If using NetApp Ontap 9, consult security.netapp.com for vendor-specific patch information
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in HTTP Server
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-38473 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-38473 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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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.
- 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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