When using a VirtualDirContext with Apache Tomcat 7.0.0 to 7.0.80 it was possible to bypass security constraints and/or view the source code of JSPs for resources served by the VirtualDirContext using a specially crafted request.

When running Apache Tomcat 7.0.0 to 7.0.79 on Windows with HTTP PUTs enabled (e.g. via setting the readonly initialisation parameter of the Default to false) it was possible to upload a JSP file to the server via a specially crafted request. This JSP could then be requested and any code it contained would be executed by the server.

Jenkins before 1.586 does not set the HttpOnly flag in a Set-Cookie header for session cookies when run on Tomcat 7.0.41 or later, which makes it easier for remote attackers to obtain potentially sensitive information via script access to cookies.

Jenkins before 1.586 does not set the secure flag on session cookies when run on Tomcat 7.0.41 or later, which makes it easier for remote attackers to capture cookies by intercepting their transmission within an HTTP session.

The CORS Filter in Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.0.M21, 8.5.0 to 8.5.15, 8.0.0.RC1 to 8.0.44 and 7.0.41 to 7.0.78 did not add an HTTP Vary header indicating that the response varies depending on Origin. This permitted client and server side cache poisoning in some circumstances.

A bug in the error handling of the send file code for the NIO HTTP connector in Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.0.M13, 8.5.0 to 8.5.8, 8.0.0.RC1 to 8.0.39, 7.0.0 to 7.0.73 and 6.0.16 to 6.0.48 resulted in the current Processor object being added to the Processor cache multiple times. This in turn meant that the same Processor could be used for concurrent requests. Sharing a Processor can result in information leakage between requests including, not not limited to, session ID and the response body. The bug was first noticed in 8.5.x onwards where it appears the refactoring of the Connector code for 8.5.x onwards made it more likely that the bug was observed. Initially it was thought that the 8.5.x refactoring introduced the bug but further investigation has shown that the bug is present in all currently supported Tomcat versions.

The error page mechanism of the Java Servlet Specification requires that, when an error occurs and an error page is configured for the error that occurred, the original request and response are forwarded to the error page. This means that the request is presented to the error page with the original HTTP method. If the error page is a static file, expected behaviour is to serve content of the file as if processing a GET request, regardless of the actual HTTP method. The Default Servlet in Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.0.M20, 8.5.0 to 8.5.14, 8.0.0.RC1 to 8.0.43 and 7.0.0 to 7.0.77 did not do this. Depending on the original request this could lead to unexpected and undesirable results for static error pages including, if the DefaultServlet is configured to permit writes, the replacement or removal of the custom error page. Notes for other user provided error pages: (1) Unless explicitly coded otherwise, JSPs ignore the HTTP method. JSPs used as error pages must must ensure that they handle any error dispatch as a GET request, regardless of the actual method. (2) By default, the response generated by a Servlet does depend on the HTTP method. Custom Servlets used as error pages must ensure that they handle any error dispatch as a GET request, regardless of the actual method.

While investigating bug 60718, it was noticed that some calls to application listeners in Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.0.M17, 8.5.0 to 8.5.11, 8.0.0.RC1 to 8.0.41, and 7.0.0 to 7.0.75 did not use the appropriate facade object. When running an untrusted application under a SecurityManager, it was therefore possible for that untrusted application to retain a reference to the request or response object and thereby access and/or modify information associated with another web application.

A bug in the handling of the pipelined requests in Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.0.M18, 8.5.0 to 8.5.12, 8.0.0.RC1 to 8.0.42, 7.0.0 to 7.0.76, and 6.0.0 to 6.0.52, when send file was used, results in the pipelined request being lost when send file processing of the previous request completed. This could result in responses appearing to be sent for the wrong request. For example, a user agent that sent requests A, B and C could see the correct response for request A, the response for request C for request B and no response for request C.

Remote code execution is possible with Apache Tomcat before 6.0.48, 7.x before 7.0.73, 8.x before 8.0.39, 8.5.x before 8.5.7, and 9.x before 9.0.0.M12 if JmxRemoteLifecycleListener is used and an attacker can reach JMX ports. The issue exists because this listener wasn't updated for consistency with the CVE-2016-3427 Oracle patch that affected credential types.

The code in Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.0.M11, 8.5.0 to 8.5.6, 8.0.0.RC1 to 8.0.38, 7.0.0 to 7.0.72, and 6.0.0 to 6.0.47 that parsed the HTTP request line permitted invalid characters. This could be exploited, in conjunction with a proxy that also permitted the invalid characters but with a different interpretation, to inject data into the HTTP response. By manipulating the HTTP response the attacker could poison a web-cache, perform an XSS attack and/or obtain sensitive information from requests other then their own.

Apache Tomcat through 7.0.x allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon outage) via partial HTTP requests, as demonstrated by Slowloris.