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Apache HTTP Server weakness with encoded question marks in backreferences

Not in CISA KEVCVE-2024-38474CWE-116

Not confirmed exploited. 2 of 8 rule sources name it.

Edge rules
2/8
Our test
No exploit yet
CVSS
8.1
EPSS
2.5% Top 16%
Posts, 14d
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Published
2024-07-01
Substitution encoding issue in mod_rewrite in Apache HTTP Server 2.4.59 and earlier allows attacker to execute scripts in directories permitted by the configuration but not directly reachable by any URL or source disclosure of scripts… More

Substitution encoding issue in mod_rewrite in Apache HTTP Server 2.4.59 and earlier allows attacker to execute scripts in directories permitted by the configuration but not directly reachable by any URL or source disclosure of scripts meant to only to be executed as CGI. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.4.60, which fixes this issue. Some RewriteRules that capture and substitute unsafely will now fail unless rewrite flag "UnsafeAllow3F" is specified.

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Ask about CVE-2024-38474: who's covered, what to patch first, how vendors compare. I cite sources and won't help with attacks.

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Severity, decoded

CVSS 3.1
High · 8.1 / 10

Exploitable over the network, with low privileges and no user interaction, leading to full loss of confidentiality and availability.

Over the internetAny user loginNo user actionWorks reliablySerious impact
How the score is built8 metrics
  • Attack vectorAn attacker can reach it over the internet; no access to your network needed.
    Network
  • Attack complexityNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
    Low
  • Privileges requiredThe attacker needs an ordinary user account.
    Low
  • User interactionNo one has to click or open anything; the attack works on its own.
    None
  • ScopeThe damage stays within the vulnerable component.
    Unchanged
  • Confidentiality impactAn attacker can read all data the affected component holds, or the most sensitive parts of it.
    High
  • Integrity impactData cannot be changed by the attacker.
    None
  • Availability impactAn attacker can take the component down completely or keep it from serving anyone.
    High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
CISA's assessmentSSVC, from the CVE record
ExploitationNone

CISA has seen no public exploit and no attacks.

AutomatableNo

At least one step needs hands-on work, which slows mass attacks.

Technical impactPartial

A successful attack gives limited control over the affected software or limited access to its data.

Public exploits

None found
0 Metasploit0 Exploit-DB0 Scanner template0 GitHub PoCs

No exploit in Exploit-DB or Metasploit, and no scanner template. That lowers, but doesn't remove, the chance of mass exploitation.

Timeline

  1. 2024-07-01
    CVE published
    CVE List
  2. 2024-09-17
    F5 ships a rule
    Apache mod_rewrite Filename Confusion
  3. 2025-08-25
    Cloudflare ships a rule
    Apache HTTP Server - Code Execution - CVE:CVE-2024-38474

Social

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No posts seen yet on X, Bluesky, Mastodon, Hacker News or GitHub.

Vendor statements

Quoted
CloudflareWAF Managed Rules1 quoteRule off by default

First rule 2025-08-25, 420 days after the CVE was published.

2025-08-25New rule…3bdcdbadDefault: DisabledSource
Apache HTTP Server - Code Execution - CVE:CVE-2024-38474. Previous action: Log. New action: Disabled. This is a New Detection
AWSAWS WAF Managed RulesNo public claim

We found no public statement from this vendor naming this CVE. That is not proof of no protection: generic rules may still catch it. AWS often describes a vulnerability without naming its CVE (for example "Log4j"). We count only entries that name the CVE, so AWS coverage is understated.

Microsoft AzureFront Door and Application Gateway WAF (DRS)No public claim

We found no public statement from this vendor naming this CVE. That is not proof of no protection: generic rules may still catch it. The rule tables name CVEs but carry no dates, so Azure is left out of every time-to-rule figure.

Google CloudCloud Armor preconfigured WAF rulesNo public claim

We found no public statement from this vendor naming this CVE. That is not proof of no protection: generic rules may still catch it. Google names few CVEs: the release notes start in May 2024 and the rules reference lists CVEs without dates. Its cve-canary rules are opt-in.

FastlyNext-Gen WAF virtual patchesBefore feed history

The CVE predates the oldest entry in this vendor's public feed, so a rule may exist that we cannot see.

F5Attack signatures (Distributed Cloud WAF)2 quotesRule published

First rule 2024-09-17, 78 days after the CVE was published.

2024-09-17New rule200007072Source
Added: signature 200007072 "Apache mod_rewrite Filename Confusion" (Path Traversal, risk Low), systems: Apache. References: CVE-2024-39573, CVE-2024-38475, CVE-2024-38474, CVE-2024-38476.
2025-04-28Updated200007072Source
Updated: signature 200007072 "Apache mod_rewrite Filename Confusion" (Path Traversal, risk Low), systems: Apache. References: CVE-2024-39573, CVE-2024-38475, CVE-2024-38474, CVE-2024-38476, CVE-2024-38473.
AkamaiApp & API Protector (Adaptive Security Engine)No public source

This vendor publishes no machine-readable rule changelog we can check.

OWASP CRSCore Rule Set (open source, used inside many WAFs)No public claim

We found no public statement from this vendor naming this CVE. That is not proof of no protection: generic rules may still catch it. CRS rarely names CVEs: it relies on generic detections. Our own lab measures what it actually blocks.