Path Traversal in Apache Tomcat

CVE-2008-5515

Apache Tomcat 4.1.0 through 4.1.39, 5.5.0 through 5.5.27, 6.0.0 through 6.0.18, and possibly earlier versions normalizes the target pathname before filtering the query string when using the RequestDispatcher method, which allows remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions and conduct directory traversal attacks via .. (dot dot) sequences and the WEB-INF directory in a Request.

Vulnerability class: Path Traversal (Directory Traversal)

EPSS: 0.187 (97.0th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.

Affected products

  • Apache Tomcat — versions 4.1.0, 4.1.1, 4.1.2
  • N/a — versions n/a

Weakness classification (CWE)

Public proof-of-concept exploits

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2008-5515?
CVE-2008-5515 is a vulnerability in Apache Tomcat, classified under Path Traversal. Published 2009-06-16.
Is CVE-2008-5515 known to be exploited?
1 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed. Not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.