Apache has recently addressed a significant remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in its HTTP Server, which was independently identified by researchers from Anthropic and Google. This critical flaw, tracked as CVE-2026-119618, posed a risk of unauthorized access and execution of commands on vulnerable servers.
Details of the Vulnerability
The vulnerability was present in Apache HTTP Server versions 2.4.55 to 2.4.70 and was rectified with the release of version 2.4.71 on November 11. It was located in the mod_http2 module, which is responsible for handling HTTP/2 traffic. The issue arose from a race condition where multiple threads improperly accessed shared resources, leading to potential memory corruption.
Experts from Red Hat noted that this flaw could be exploited remotely without authentication, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary commands and compromise server processes. The vulnerability received a CVSS score of 9.8, underscoring its severity. Only servers configured to use HTTP/2 were affected, whereas those limited to HTTP/1.1 remained secure.
Discovery and Reporting
The flaw was initially reported on October 26 by Anthropic’s OSS Scanner, followed by an independent report from Google Cloud Vulnerability Research’s Anthony Weems and Simon Scannell on November 3. Cloud security firm Wiz highlighted that 64% of cloud environments in its dataset contained resources running vulnerable Apache versions. Furthermore, 51% had instances publicly exposed, though these figures did not necessarily equate to exploitable situations.
While Red Hat confirmed the existence of a reliable exploit for servers with mod_http2 enabled, there has been no public disclosure of specific research. As of November 11, Wiz reported no known exploits available or instances of the vulnerability being exploited in the wild.
Recommendations for Organizations
Organizations are urged to update to Apache HTTP Server version 2.4.71 or apply vendor-provided patches to mitigate this security threat. In situations where immediate updates are not feasible, disabling HTTP/2 can serve as a provisional safeguard against exploitation. It is important to note that WordPress security updates cannot address this issue, as it impacts the underlying web server.
In addition to CVE-2026-119618, the latest Apache HTTP Server update also resolves two other vulnerabilities: CVE-2026-106023, which can crash server processes, and CVE-2026-109163, a low-severity stack buffer overflow.
