CVE-2026-44185
Description
A flaw was found in Apache HTTP Server. This buffer over-read vulnerability occurs when the server processes outbound Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) requests directed to an attacker-controlled OCSP server. This could allow a remote attacker to read sensitive information from memory or cause a denial of service.
Statement
A critical buffer over-read flaw in Apache HTTP Server occurs when it performs outbound OCSP requests. If a server connects to an attacker-controlled OCSP responder, a remote attacker can leak sensitive memory data or trigger a denial of service (DoS). This risk depends entirely on the server's OCSP configuration and endpoint trustworthiness.
Mitigation
To mitigate this issue, ensure that Apache HTTP Server is configured to only communicate with trusted OCSP responders. If OCSP validation or stapling is not a critical requirement for your deployment, consider disabling it. This can be achieved by adjusting mod_ssl directives in your Apache HTTP Server configuration.
For example, add or modify the following lines:
SSLOCSPEnable off
SSLUseStapling off
After modifying the configuration, reload the httpd service for the changes to take effect safely without interrupting active connections:
sudo systemctl reload 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 | 7.3 | N/A | 7.3 |
| Attack Vector | Network | N/A | Network |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | None | N/A | None |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | Low | N/A | Low |
| Integrity Impact | Low | N/A | Low |
| Availability Impact | Low | N/A | Low |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Read Memory
An attacker could get secret values such as cryptographic keys, PII, memory addresses, or other information that could be used in additional attacks.
Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Bypass Protection Mechanism
Out-of-bounds memory could contain memory addresses or other information that can be used to bypass ASLR and other protection mechanisms in order to improve the reliability of exploiting a separate weakness for code execution.
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
An attacker could cause a segmentation fault or crash by causing memory to be read outside of the bounds of the buffer. This is especially likely when the code reads a variable amount of data and assumes that a sentinel exists to stop the read operation, such as a NUL in a string.
Other
Technical Impact: Varies by Context
The read operation could produce other undefined or unexpected results.
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