Description
Some mod_proxy configurations on Apache HTTP Server versions 2.4.0 through 2.4.55 allow a HTTP Request Smuggling attack.




Configurations are affected when mod_proxy is enabled along with some form of RewriteRule
or ProxyPassMatch in which a non-specific pattern matches
some portion of the user-supplied request-target (URL) data and is then
re-inserted into the proxied request-target using variable
substitution. For example, something like:




RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule "^/here/(.*)" "http://example.com:8080/elsewhere?$1"; [P]
ProxyPassReverse /here/ http://example.com:8080/


Request splitting/smuggling could result in bypass of access controls in the proxy server, proxying unintended URLs to existing origin servers, and cache poisoning. Users are recommended to update to at least version 2.4.56 of Apache HTTP Server.
Published: 2023-03-07
Score: 9.8 Critical
EPSS: 68.2% High
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
AI Analysis

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Remediation

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Tracking

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Advisories
Source ID Title
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-3401-1 apache2 security update
Debian DSA Debian DSA DSA-5376-1 apache2 security update
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-5942-1 Apache HTTP Server vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-5942-2 Apache HTTP Server vulnerability
History

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 16:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'yes', 'Exploitation': 'poc', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}


Thu, 13 Feb 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Some mod_proxy configurations on Apache HTTP Server versions 2.4.0 through 2.4.55 allow a HTTP Request Smuggling attack. Configurations are affected when mod_proxy is enabled along with some form of RewriteRule or ProxyPassMatch in which a non-specific pattern matches some portion of the user-supplied request-target (URL) data and is then re-inserted into the proxied request-target using variable substitution. For example, something like: RewriteEngine on RewriteRule "^/here/(.*)" "http://example.com:8080/elsewhere?$1"; [P] ProxyPassReverse /here/ http://example.com:8080/ Request splitting/smuggling could result in bypass of access controls in the proxy server, proxying unintended URLs to existing origin servers, and cache poisoning. Users are recommended to update to at least version 2.4.56 of Apache HTTP Server. Some mod_proxy configurations on Apache HTTP Server versions 2.4.0 through 2.4.55 allow a HTTP Request Smuggling attack. Configurations are affected when mod_proxy is enabled along with some form of RewriteRule or ProxyPassMatch in which a non-specific pattern matches some portion of the user-supplied request-target (URL) data and is then re-inserted into the proxied request-target using variable substitution. For example, something like: RewriteEngine on RewriteRule "^/here/(.*)" "http://example.com:8080/elsewhere?$1"; [P] ProxyPassReverse /here/ http://example.com:8080/ Request splitting/smuggling could result in bypass of access controls in the proxy server, proxying unintended URLs to existing origin servers, and cache poisoning. Users are recommended to update to at least version 2.4.56 of Apache HTTP Server.

Subscriptions

Apache Http Server
Redhat Enterprise Linux Jboss Core Services Rhel Aus Rhel E4s Rhel Eus Rhel Software Collections Rhel Tus
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: apache

Published:

Updated: 2025-12-18T15:37:41.866Z

Reserved: 2023-02-12T13:28:31.657Z

Link: CVE-2023-25690

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2024-08-02T11:25:19.361Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Modified

Published: 2023-03-07T16:15:09.477

Modified: 2025-12-18T16:15:49.523

Link: CVE-2023-25690

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Important

Publid Date: 2023-03-07T00:00:00Z

Links: CVE-2023-25690 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.

Weaknesses