Patched Apache Vulnerability Could Still Cause Problems

A vulnerability in Apache HTTP Server has been found and patched, but the sheer number of servers still running older, unpatched versions of the software means hundreds of thousands of sites and servers could still be in danger.

CVE-2019-0211 is a privilege-escalation vulnerability that could allow users to execute arbitrary code with the privilege of the parent process, which is usually root. The vulnerability exists in Apache HTTP Server releases 2.4.17 to 2.4.38 and was patched with the release of Apache HTTP Server 2.4.39.

According to Rapid7 scans, more than 2,000,000 servers, many on public cloud platforms, are still running vulnerable versions of Apache. "This is especially problematic and prone to exploit in shared hosting providers that run multiple sites under one umbrella Apache process," said Bob Rudis, chief data scientist at Rapid7. 

Rudis recommended those who use shared hosting providers contact them to ensure the software has been patched and that organizations running vulnerable versions on their own platforms do so as soon as possible, too, to avoid being used as a privilege escalation vector that can be leveraged on other applications.

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