CVE-2023-38709 | Apache HTTP Server: HTTP response splitting

Faulty input validation in the core of Apache allows malicious or exploitable backend/content generators to split HTTP responses. This issue affects Apache HTTP Server: through 2.4.58.

Published: 2024-04-04 Last update: 2025-11-04 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]
NVD Status：Modified，CVE State: published
View at NVD, CVE.org, EUVD

CVE-2023-38709 is rated Moderate Risk (60.3/100): CVSS High severity, with medium exploitation likelihood (EPSS 4.36%). Review affected assets and schedule remediation.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2023-38709

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-05-26 4.47% 4.36% -0.11%
2 2026-05-22 3.91% 4.47% +0.57%
3 2026-04-23 — 3.91% —

Full EPSS history (60 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2023-38709

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
7.3 3.1 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:L)
Some sensitive info could get out, but not a total data dump.
Integrity (I:L)
Attackers could change some data, but it’s limited—not everything goes.
Availability (A:L)
Might cause slowdowns, glitches, or partial disruption—not a full brick.
 3.9 3.4 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2023-38709

OS Trackers for CVE-2023-38709

vendor priority summary link
alpine — CVE-2023-38709: 1 source package rows (apache2); 7 state rows across 7 repos (3.17-main, 3.18-main, 3.19-main, 3.20-main, 3.21-main, 3.22-main, edge-main); fixed 7, open 0. https://security.alpinelinux.org/vuln/CVE-2023-38709
debian not yet assigned CVE-2023-38709 not yet assigned priority: Debian including 1 source packages (apache2), 5 status rows across 5 suites (bookworm, bullseye, forky, sid, trixie): resolved 5. https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2023-38709
gentoo low CVE-2023-38709: 1 GLSA(s) (202409-31), 1 atom(s) (www-servers/apache); latest impact low. https://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?quicksearch=CVE-2023-38709
redhat medium — https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-38709
suse medium CVE-2023-38709 severity moderate: SUSE including 318 source package names (2.8:apache2-utils-2.4.58-150600.5.3.1, 4.3.12.9.52.9:apache2-2.4.51-150400.6.17.1, …), 533 product×package rows across 75 product lines (Container bci/php-apache, Container suse/manager/4.3/proxy-httpd, … (75 product lines)): Fixed 302, Known Affected 231. https://www.suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-38709/
ubuntu medium CVE-2023-38709 medium priority: Ubuntu including 1 source packages (apache2), 11 status rows across 11 suites (bionic, focal, jammy, mantic, noble, oracular, plucky, questing, trusty, upstream, xenial): released 10, needs-triage 1. https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2023-38709

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2023-38709

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
apache http_server < 2.4.59 cpe:2.3:a:apache:http_server:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
debian debian_linux 10.0 cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fedoraproject fedora 38 cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:38:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fedoraproject fedora 39 cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:39:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fedoraproject fedora 40 cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:40:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
netapp ontap 9 cpe:2.3:a:netapp:ontap:9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
netapp ontap_tools 10 cpe:2.3:a:netapp:ontap_tools:10:*:*:*:*:vmware_vsphere:*:*
broadcom fabric_operating_system — cpe:2.3:o:broadcom:fabric_operating_system:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
apple macos < 14.6 cpe:2.3:o:apple:macos:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2023-38709

URL Tags
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Jul/18 Mailing List Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/04/04/3 Mailing List Third Party Advisory
https://httpd.apache.org/security/vulnerabilities_24.html Vendor Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/05/msg00013.html Mailing List Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/I2N2NZEX3MR64IWSGL3QGN7KSRUGAEMF/ Mailing List Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/LX5U34KYGDYPRH3AJ6MDDCBJDWDPXNVJ/ Mailing List Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/WNV4SZAPVS43DZWNFU7XBYYOZEZMI4ZC/ Mailing List Third Party Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20240415-0013/ Third Party Advisory
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT214119 Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2025/07/10/2
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2025/07/10/3
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