CVE-2026-24072
Description
A flaw was found in Apache HTTP Server. This escalation of privilege vulnerability allows local attackers, specifically those with the ability to author .htaccess files, to read sensitive files. This flaw enables unauthorized access to files with the privileges of the httpd user, potentially leading to information disclosure.
Statement
Red Hat has evaluated this vulnerability as having a Moderate severity impact because exploitation requires existing privileges to create or modify configuration files on the local web server. Standard Red Hat Enterprise Linux deployments disable directory overrides by default (AllowOverride None), significantly limiting exposure unless an administrator has explicitly enabled them. As a result, the risk is primarily confined to multi-tenant or shared hosting environments where untrusted local users are permitted to author .htaccess directives.
Mitigation
To prevent local users from exploiting this flaw via .htaccess file manipulation, configure Apache HTTP Server to disable .htaccess overrides. Set `AllowOverride None` within the main server configuration or relevant `<Directory>` blocks. This restricts the ability of local users to alter server settings. After applying this change, the `httpd` service must be reloaded or restarted for the new configuration to take effect.
Example configuration:
<Directory "/var/www/html">To apply changes, reload the service:
AllowOverride None
</Directory>
`sudo systemctl reload httpd`
Or restart the service:
`sudo systemctl restart httpd`
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 5.5 | N/A | 8.8 |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | Network |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | Low | N/A | Low |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | High | N/A | High |
| Integrity Impact | None | N/A | High |
| Availability Impact | None | N/A | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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