# CVE-2011-1498: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor in Apache HttpClient

> Apache HttpClient leaks proxy credentials to origin servers when using an authenticating proxy, allowing remote servers to obtain sensitive information.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.3 (`AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 7 Jul 2011
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2011-1498, GHSA-gw85-4gmf-m7rh

## What is CVE-2011-1498?

CVE-2011-1498 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 7 Jul 2011. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Apache HttpClient 4.x before 4.1.1 in Apache HttpComponents, when used with an authenticating proxy server, sends the Proxy-Authorization header to the origin server, which allows remote web servers to obtain sensitive information by logging this header.

Weakness: CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2011-1498?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient` | Maven | From 4.0.0 | 4.1.1 |
| `org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient` | Maven | From 4.0.0 | 4.1.1 |

Products: Apache Httpclient.

## How do I fix CVE-2011-1498?

Upgrade org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient to 4.1.1 or later.

## Is CVE-2011-1498 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2011-1498 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2013-4366](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-4366/): Hostname verification in Apache HttpClient 4.3 was disabled by default (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-71290](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-71290/): Apache HttpComponents Client: TLS hostname verification silently disabled on the async transport (default config, MITM) (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2025-27820](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-27820/): Apache HttpComponents: PSL (Public Suffix List) validation bypass (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2026-40542](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-40542/): Apache HttpClient accepts SCRAM-SHA-256 authentication without proper mutual authentication verification (high 7.3)
- [CVE-2012-5783](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-5783/): Improper Certificate Validation in Apache Commons HttpClient (medium 5.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2011-1498 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2011-1498 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 7 Jul 2011. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2011-1498 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient (Maven): affected from 4.0.0; fixed in 4.1.1
- org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient (Maven): affected from 4.0.0; fixed in 4.1.1

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-1498/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-1498/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2011-1498
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-1498
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2011-1498

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-1498/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.