Critical Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in Apache HTTP Server
Successful exploitation of CVE-2026-119618 could allow an unauthenticated attacker to achieve remote code execution
Summary
Successful exploitation of CVE-2026-119618 could allow an unauthenticated attacker to achieve remote code execution
Affected platforms
The following platforms are known to be affected:
Threat details
Proof-of-concept exploit released
Security researchers have published a proof-of-concept exploit for CVE-2026-119618.
The NHS England National CSOC assesses exploitation as likely.
Introduction
The Apache Software Foundation has released a security update to address a critical severity vulnerability in Apache HTTP Server. Successful exploitation could allow an unauthenticated attacker to achieve remote code execution (RCE).
- CVE‑2026‑119618 – "Race Condition" vulnerability – Critical severity
Remediation advice
Affected organisations must review the Apache HTTP Server 2.4.71 advisory, and complete the remediation steps detailed below.
Remediation steps
| Type | Step |
|---|---|
| Patch |
Required: Patch to a fixed version Affected organisations must patch their Apache HTTP Server instances to a fixed, supported version:
Note: The open-source icing/mod_h2 repository was archived in June 2026 and will not receive security updates. Organisations must migrate to using the HTTP/2 implementation in Apache HTTP Server. https://httpd.apache.org/security/vulnerabilities_24.html |
| Guidance |
Temporary mitigation: Restrict the active protocol to HTTP/1.1 until a patch can be applied Where immediate patching is not possible, organisations are strongly recommended to temporarily disable HTTP/2 by removing h2 and h2c from the Protocols directive and restricting servers to HTTP/1.1, subject to compatibility and performance requirements. |
Definitive source of threat updates
Last edited: 12 November 2026 12:46 pm