VulnerabilityPublished 23 Jul 2025Updated 4 Nov 2025

CVE-2025-54090: Apache HTTP Server · Incorrect Check of Function Return Value

Affects Apache HTTP ServerSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.3 Medium · fixed in 2.4.65 : update Apache HTTP Server when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 10:12 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

6.3Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.8% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 58% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 2.4.65

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: Low
Integrity: Low
Availability: Low

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the impacted component.
Integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on the impacted component.
Availability: Low: Performance is reduced or there are interruptions in resource availability. Even if repeated exploitation of the vulnerability is possible, the attacker does not have the ability to completely deny service to legitimate users. The resources in the impacted component are either partially available all of the time, or fully available only some of the time, but overall there is no direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 23 Jul 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Apache Software Foundation Apache HTTP Server	Affected =2.4.64	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

European organizations should immediately upgrade all Apache HTTP Server instances from version 2.4.64 to 2.4.65 or later to eliminate the vulnerability. In environments where immediate upgrade is not feasible, administrators should audit and review all "RewriteCond expr ..." directives to identify and temporarily disable or tighten rules that could be exploited due to the incorrect evaluation. Implementing strict access controls and network segmentation can limit exposure of vulnerable servers. Monitoring web server logs for unusual rewrite behavior or unexpected access patterns can help detect exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should ensure that their incident response plans include scenarios involving web server misconfigurations and maintain up-to-date backups to recover from potential availability impacts. Coordinating with Apache support channels and subscribing to security advisories will help stay informed about any emerging exploits or patches.

Description

A bug in Apache HTTP Server 2.4.64 results in all "RewriteCond expr ..." tests evaluating as "true". Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.4.65, which fixes the issue.

Impact

For European organizations, the vulnerability poses a risk to web servers running Apache HTTP Server 2.4.64, which is common in enterprise, government, and service provider environments. The incorrect evaluation of rewrite conditions can lead to unauthorized access to protected resources, bypass of security controls, or unintended request routing. This can compromise confidentiality by exposing sensitive data, integrity by allowing unauthorized modifications or access, and availability by enabling denial-of-service scenarios through misrouted or malformed requests. Organizations relying on Apache for critical web applications, especially those handling personal data under GDPR, face increased compliance and reputational risks if exploited. The medium severity indicates that while the vulnerability is not trivially exploitable for full system compromise, it can facilitate lateral movement or privilege escalation when combined with other weaknesses. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate urgency but does not eliminate the threat, as attackers may develop exploits given the public disclosure.

CWE-253Incorrect Check of Function Return Value (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: Low
The product incorrectly checks a return value from a function, which prevents it from detecting errors or exceptional conditions.
Architecture and Design · Language Selection
Use a language or compiler that uses exceptions and requires the catching of those exceptions.
Implementation
Properly check all functions which return a value.
Implementation
When designing any function make sure you return a value or throw an exception in case of an error.
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V11.1.7 (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

Community reviews

Loading reviews…

Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 11 Nov 2025, 06:30 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-253

Technical details

References

Community reviews

Related threats