CVE-2026-76994 in Answer
Summary
by MITRE • 10/19/2026
Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor vulnerability in Apache Answer.
This issue affects Apache Answer: through 2.0.2.
Unauthenticated attackers could obtain metadata associated with hidden questions through public answer profiles.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.0.3, which fixes the issue.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/20/2026
The vulnerability identified in Apache Answer prior to version 2.0.3 represents a critical failure in access control mechanisms, specifically categorized under CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor. This flaw allows unauthenticated users to retrieve metadata associated with questions that are intended to be hidden or private from the general public. The root cause lies in how the application handles requests for answer profiles and question details through its API endpoints. Instead of strictly enforcing authentication checks before returning sensitive data, the system exposes internal state information via publicly accessible URLs. This misconfiguration enables attackers who do not possess valid credentials to query these endpoints directly, bypassing the intended security boundaries that should restrict access to private content.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability exploits the lack of proper authorization validation on specific API routes within the Apache Answer application framework. When an unauthenticated user requests metadata for hidden questions through public answer profiles, the server processes the request and returns data that includes identifiers, timestamps, or other contextual information about these restricted items. This behavior indicates a breakdown in the principle of least privilege, where resources are accessible based on their existence rather than the requester's permissions. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1087: Account Discovery, as it allows an attacker to enumerate accounts and associated private content without prior authentication. By gathering this metadata, attackers can build a comprehensive map of user activity and hidden discussions within the platform.
The operational impact of this information disclosure is significant for both individual users and organizational deployments using Apache Answer. Attackers can leverage the exposed metadata to infer sensitive business logic, identify high-value targets by analyzing question topics or authorship patterns, and potentially correlate private conversations with public profiles. This level of visibility undermines user privacy expectations and compromises the integrity of confidential discussions hosted on the platform. In enterprise environments where Apache Answer might be used for internal knowledge sharing, such exposure could lead to intellectual property leakage or reveal strategic plans discussed in hidden threads. The ability to access this data without authentication lowers the barrier for entry significantly, allowing even low-skilled threat actors to exploit the flaw effectively.
To mitigate this vulnerability and restore secure operations, organizations running Apache Answer must upgrade immediately to version 2.0.3 or later. This release contains specific patches that enforce strict authorization checks on all API endpoints related to question metadata and answer profiles. Administrators should verify their deployment versions through standard update procedures provided by the Apache Software Foundation. Additionally, implementing a Web Application Firewall with rules designed to detect abnormal enumeration patterns can provide an additional layer of defense against exploitation attempts while upgrades are being processed. Regular security audits and penetration testing focused on access control flaws will help ensure that similar misconfigurations do not persist in future updates or custom integrations.