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🛡️ CVE-2023-45802 — apache

🟡 CVSS 5.9 — Medium ✅ No Known Exploit NVD
5.9
CVSS Score
0 Low4 Medium7 High9 Critical10

Description

Apache HTTP Server: HTTP/2 stream memory not reclaimed right away on RST

When a HTTP/2 stream was reset (RST frame) by a client, there was a time window were the request's memory resources were not reclaimed immediately. Instead, de-allocation was deferred to connection close. A client could send new requests and resets, keeping the connection busy and open and causing the memory footprint to keep on growing. On connection close, all resources were reclaimed, but the process might run out of memory before that.

This was found by the reporter during testing of CVE-2023-44487 (HTTP/2 Rapid Reset Exploit) with their own test client. During "normal" HTTP/2 use, the probability to hit this bug is very low. The kept memory would not become noticeable before the connection closes or times out.

Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.4.58, which fixes the issue.

How this vulnerability can be exploited

This issue can be reached over the network, attack complexity is high, an attacker needs no privileges on the target. No user interaction is required. The scope is unchanged, so the impact stays within the vulnerable component. Rated impact: confidentiality none, integrity none, availability high.

CVSS metrics in full

The score comes from this vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

  • Attack vector: Network — reachable from anywhere that can route to the service.
  • Attack complexity: High — the attacker first has to win a race, learn a secret or otherwise prepare the target.
  • Privileges required: None — an unauthenticated stranger can try it.
  • User interaction: None — nobody has to be tricked into anything.
  • Scope: Unchanged — the damage stays inside the vulnerable component.
  • Confidentiality impact: None.
  • Integrity impact: None.
  • Availability impact: High — total loss, or loss the attacker controls.

Affected software

CVE-2023-45802 is recorded against 4 packages.

  • apache
  • debian-linux
  • fedora
  • http-server (from 2.4.17 up to 2.4.58)

Timeline and source

Published on 6 March 2024 and last revised on 20 May 2025. No public exploit is currently recorded for this entry. Record sourced from NVD.

References

httpd.apache.org (Web)
lists.fedoraproject.org (Web)
lists.fedoraproject.org (Web)
lists.fedoraproject.org (Web)
security.netapp.com (Web)
lists.debian.org (Web)
nvd.nist.gov (Web)

Other advisories for this package

apache has other advisories on record. If you are patching this one, these are worth checking on the same host:

CVE-2023-45802 on other distributions

Each distribution ships its own build and its own fixed version. Pick the one you run:

Details

Severity MEDIUM
CVSS Score 5.9
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CWE N/A
Public Exploit ✅ No
Source NVD
Published 2024-03-06
Updated 2026-08-20
Modified 2025-05-20
Fix URL N/A

Affected Packages

Software From version Fixed in
apache — —
debian-linux — —
fedora — —
http-server 2.4.17 2.4.58

Similar Threats

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