CVE-2016-8735: Apache Tomcat Improper Access Control vulnerability

CVE-2016-8735 · Severity: critical · CVSS 3 · Exploited in the wild · Published 2022-05-13

Apache Tomcat is vulnerable to remote code execution when the JmxRemoteLifecycleListener is enabled and an attacker can access the JMX ports. The vulnerability arises because the listener lacked security updates consistent with CVE-2016-3427 regarding credential type validation.

Technologies: Apache Tomcat, org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina (Maven). Vendors: Apache, Maven.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2016-8735 exploited in the wild?
Yes. CVE-2016-8735 is known to be exploited in the wild, first recorded on 12 May 2023. Treat it as urgent.
How severe is CVE-2016-8735?
Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 3, published 13 May 2022.
Which products and versions are affected?
org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina (Maven) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=6.0.48; org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina-jmx-remote (Maven) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=6.0.48.
Is there a fix for CVE-2016-8735?
Yes. org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina (Maven): upgrade to 6.0.48 or later; org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina-jmx-remote (Maven): upgrade to 6.0.48 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2016-8735 attacked?
It is attacked over the network, in a software library.
Am I affected by CVE-2016-8735?
Check whether you run Apache Tomcat, org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina (Maven) or org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina-jmx-remote (Maven) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

How to fix

  • org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina (Maven): upgrade to 6.0.48 or later
    # set org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina to 6.0.48 in your pom.xml or build.gradle
  • org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina-jmx-remote (Maven): upgrade to 6.0.48 or later
    # set org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina-jmx-remote to 6.0.48 in your pom.xml or build.gradle

Affected products

  • Apache Tomcat before 6.0.48
  • Apache Tomcat 7.x before 7.0.73
  • Apache Tomcat 8.x before 8.0.39
  • Apache Tomcat 8.5.x before 8.5.7
  • Apache Tomcat 9.x before 9.0.0.M12

Identifiers

  • CVE-2016-8735
  • GHSA-cw54-59pw-4g8c

Timeline

  • 2023-05-12: disclosed
  • exploited: Reported as exploited in the wild and listed in CISA KEV catalog.

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