Apache HTTP Server CVE-2026-44119

Exploitation requires all of the following: (1) the target system runs Apache HTTP Server 2.4.0 through 2.4.67; (2) .htaccess overrides are enabled - specifically, the server configuration must include 'AllowOverride' set to a value other than 'None' for the targeted directory, which is a common but not universal configuration; (3) the attacker has an authenticated local system account or web-hosting account with filesystem write access to a directory that is served by the Apache instance and has AllowOverride enabled. The CVSS vector PR:L confirms low-privilege authenticated access is required - unauthenticated remote exploitation is not possible. The attack is further limited by AV:L (local vector only) and SSVC's 'not automatable' classification, meaning mass exploitation across systems is not feasible. Exploitation impact is bounded to confidentiality only - the attacker cannot modify or delete files via this path.

The CVSS 3.1 score of 5.5 (Medium) reflects a local attack vector (AV:L), low complexity (AC:L), low privileges required (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), and high confidentiality impact with no integrity or availability impact (C:H/I:N/A:N). The SSVC framework independently corroborates a measured risk posture: exploitation is classified as 'none', the vulnerability is not automatable, and technical impact is partial. No EPSS score was provided in the source data, so exploitation probability cannot be quantified numerically. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog, and no public exploit code has been identified. The combination of a local attack vector and the requirement for .htaccess write access significantly limits the realistic attacker population to insiders, compromised accounts, or shared-hosting scenarios where multiple users can write to web-served directories. This is a real but lower-priority finding for most enterprise deployments; shared hosting or multi-tenant web environments represent the highest-risk use case.

A local user on a shared web hosting platform with write access to a web-served directory crafts a .htaccess file containing directives (such as ErrorDocument or Include paths) that instruct the Apache httpd process to read and surface the contents of sensitive server files - for example, application database credentials, private SSL keys stored in accessible paths, or OS-level files readable by the httpd service account. The attacker then triggers an HTTP request to the directory, causing Apache to process the malicious .htaccess and return or log the targeted file contents. No public proof-of-concept code has been identified at the time of this analysis.