Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
Sources: National Vulnerability Database, CISA KEV, Exploit-DB
CVE-2026-67249 Overview
CVE-2026-67249 is an authorization vulnerability in Apache Answer, an open-source question-and-answer platform. The flaw affects all versions through 2.0.2. A verification code issued for one email-based workflow could be accepted by a different sensitive workflow because the application failed to enforce the code's intended purpose. The issue maps to CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization. The Apache Software Foundation has released version 2.0.3 to address the vulnerability.
Critical Impact
Attackers who obtain a verification code from a lower-sensitivity workflow could reuse it against higher-sensitivity account workflows, enabling account compromise through workflow confusion.
Affected Products
- Apache Answer versions up to and including 2.0.2
- Deployments relying on email-based verification workflows
- Self-hosted Apache Answer community platforms
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-10-19 - CVE-2026-67249 published to NVD
- 2026-10-19 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-67249
Vulnerability Analysis
Apache Answer uses email-delivered verification codes to authenticate several user workflows, including registration, password reset, and email change operations. Each verification code is issued in the context of a specific workflow but the server did not validate that context when consuming the code. An attacker who legitimately triggered one workflow could present the resulting code to a different, more sensitive workflow and have it accepted. This is a business logic failure classified under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing purpose binding on verification tokens. The application generated and stored verification codes without tying them to the workflow that requested them, or it failed to check the stored purpose during redemption. As a result, the server treated any valid, unexpired code for the target email as sufficient proof for any email-gated action.
Attack Vector
An attacker with access to an email address, or control over an account they own, requests a verification code for a benign workflow such as email verification. The attacker then submits the same code to a sensitive endpoint such as password reset or email change. Because the server does not enforce the code's original purpose, the sensitive operation succeeds. The vulnerability requires no privileged access beyond the ability to receive the verification code tied to the target email context.
No verified exploit code has been published for this issue. See the Apache Security Announcement and the OpenWall OSS Security Update for authoritative technical detail.
Detect Identity Attacks the Moment Authentication Fails
Singularity™ Identity surfaces credential misuse, lateral movement, and privilege escalation in real time, so you can contain the breach before it spreads.
Stop Identity AttacksDetection Methods for CVE-2026-67249
Indicators of Compromise
- Verification code redemption events where the workflow of issuance differs from the workflow of consumption in application logs.
- Password reset or email change confirmations that occur without a corresponding reset-request event for the same account.
- Short time windows between a registration or email-verification request and an unrelated account change for the same user.
Detection Strategies
- Audit application logs for verification code issue and redeem pairs, flagging mismatches between issued purpose and redeemed endpoint.
- Correlate HTTP request sequences to the /users verification and account-change endpoints to identify unusual flow transitions.
- Alert on account state changes such as email or password updates that are not preceded by the matching request event.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward Apache Answer application and web server logs to a centralized analytics platform for sequence analysis.
- Monitor rate and distribution of verification code requests per account to surface abuse patterns.
- Track account email changes and password resets as high-value events and review them against user-initiated activity.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-67249
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade Apache Answer to version 2.0.3 or later, which enforces the verification code purpose.
- Invalidate any outstanding verification codes issued by vulnerable versions before completing the upgrade.
- Review recent account email changes, password resets, and privilege changes for signs of abuse while running affected versions.
Patch Information
The Apache Software Foundation fixed CVE-2026-67249 in Apache Answer 2.0.3. The patched release enforces that verification codes are only accepted by the workflow for which they were issued. Administrators should follow the upgrade instructions in the Apache Security Announcement.
Workarounds
- Restrict access to the Apache Answer administrative and account-management endpoints to trusted networks until the upgrade is applied.
- Shorten the verification code expiration window to reduce the time an issued code can be replayed against another workflow.
- Require re-authentication before sensitive account changes such as password reset confirmation or email update.
# Upgrade Apache Answer to the patched release
docker pull apache/answer:2.0.3
docker stop answer && docker rm answer
docker run -d --name answer -p 9080:80 \
-v answer-data:/data \
apache/answer:2.0.3
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
Sources: National Vulnerability Database, CISA KEV, Exploit-DB
