Apache Answer CVE-2026-71563

Exploitation requires (1) an Apache Answer deployment at version 2.0.2 or earlier with the MCP (Model Context Protocol) answer-retrieval tool exposed/enabled, and (2) the attacker to hold a valid global API key for that instance. The authorization defect is in the MCP tool's failure to honor per-question visibility (hidden, deleted, pending-review) states. Limiting factors: this is NOT unauthenticated - a legitimate global API key is a prerequisite, so the realistic threat is a key holder (insider, integration, or leaked key) rather than an anonymous remote attacker; instances that do not use the MCP integration are not exposed. Impact is limited to disclosure of answer content for non-public questions; no modification or denial of service is implied by the description.

This is a moderate-severity information-disclosure issue (Missing Authorization, CWE-862 class) that realistically sits below true patch-now priority. No CVSS vector, EPSS score, KEV listing, or POC was provided in the input, so there is no signal of active or imminent exploitation - exploitation status is therefore 'no public exploit identified at time of analysis.' The real-world risk is constrained by two facts drawn from the description: exploitation is not anonymous (it requires possession of a 'global API key'), and the impact is bounded to reading answer content tied to hidden, deleted, or pending-review questions - there is no indication of write, integrity, or availability impact. One signal to flag explicitly: NO CVSS vector was supplied by NVD or the vendor, so attack vector, complexity, and privilege level are INFERRED from the description text, not confirmed - authentication requirements should be verified against the Apache advisory. The 'global API key' prerequisite strongly suggests a privileged/trusted-integration credential, which both lowers mass-exploitation likelihood and means the most plausible abuse is by an insider or a leaked/over-shared key rather than internet-wide scanning. Net: a legitimate confidentiality bug worth patching in affected deployments, but not an emergency absent any exploitation evidence.

An actor holding a valid global API key for an Apache Answer instance (<=2.0.2) that exposes the MCP answer-retrieval tool queries the tool for answers belonging to questions that are hidden, deleted, or still in pending review. Because the tool fails to enforce per-question visibility authorization, it returns content the key holder should not be able to see, disclosing non-public Q&A material. No public exploit code was identified in the provided data.