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AnswerApplication · Apache

CVE-2024-41888

MEDIUM · 5.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-08-12
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1.3.6 or later.
See remediation →
62/100
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
Missing Release of Resource after Effective Lifetime vulnerability in Apache Answer. This issue affects Apache Answer: through 1.3.5. The password reset link remains valid within its expiration period even after it has been used. This could potentially lead to the link being misused or hijacked. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 1.3.6, which fixes the 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 confidence

In Apache Answer through 1.3.5, the password reset token remains valid after successful password reset within its expiration period. When a user resets their password using the link, the token is not invalidated, allowing potential reuse of the same link by an attacker who obtains it during the valid expiration window.

MitigationUpgrade to version 1.3.6 which implements proper token invalidation after successful password reset, or implement code to mark the reset token as used immediately upon password change.

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
AnswerApplication
Affected:< 1.3.6

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
None
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/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 installed Apache Answer version
    Check the version of your Apache Answer installation. This is typically visible in the admin dashboard under System > About, or can be found in the application startup logs. If using Docker, check the image tag. If installed from source, check the version file or git tag.
    Affected if The installed version is any version prior to 1.3.6 (e.g., 1.3.5, 1.3.4, 1.3.3, etc.)
  2. Verify password reset is enabled
    Confirm that the password reset feature is enabled in your Answer deployment. Check the configuration file (commonly config.yaml or equivalent) for the mail/password reset related settings. Look for enable_password_reset or similar configuration keys.
    Affected if Password reset functionality is enabled and the version is below 1.3.6
  3. Check token expiration settings
    Examine the password reset token configuration in your configuration file. Look for settings controlling token validity duration (such as reset_token_expired_hours or password_reset_expiry). Note the configured expiration window.
    Affected if A token expiration window is configured (any non-zero value) and the version is below 1.3.6, meaning tokens remain valid for the configured period after use

You are affected if your Apache Answer installation is version 1.3.5 or any earlier version and password reset functionality is enabled, as the reset token is not invalidated upon successful password change.

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 1.3.6 or later
Fixed in 1.3.6
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to version 1.3.6 which implements proper token invalidation after successful password reset, or implement code to mark the reset token as used immediately upon password change.

Recommended fix High confidence

1.3.6

  1. Identify the current Apache Answer version by checking the admin dashboard or running the version command
  2. Create a full backup of the database and configuration files before proceeding with the upgrade
  3. Download Apache Answer version 1.3.6 from the official Apache Answer releases (github.com/apache/answer/releases or answer.dev)
  4. Follow the official upgrade instructions for your deployment method (Docker, binary, or source)
  5. Restart the Answer service to apply the new version
  6. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the version number in the admin dashboard
  7. Test the password reset functionality: request a password reset, use the link, then verify the same link is rejected if reused within the expiration period

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

Fix this in Answer Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.

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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-2024-41888 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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