RCE in Apache Tomcat

CVE-2019-0232

When running on Windows with enableCmdLineArguments enabled, the CGI Servlet in Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.17, 8.5.0 to 8.5.39 and 7.0.0 to 7.0.93 is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution due to a bug in the way the JRE passes command line arguments to Windows. The CGI Servlet is disabled by default. The CGI option enableCmdLineArguments is disable by default in Tomcat 9.0.x (and will be disabled by default in all versions in response to this vulnerability). For a detailed explanation of the JRE behaviour, see Markus Wulftange's blog (https://codewhitesec.blogspot.com/2016/02/java-and-command-line-injections-in-windows.html) and this archived MSDN blog (https://web.archive.org/web/20161228144344/https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/twistylittlepassagesallalike/2011/04/23/everyone-quotes-command-line-arguments-the-wrong-way/).

Vulnerability class: Command Injection (OS Command Injection)

EPSS: 0.997 (99.9th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 8.1 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.

Affected products

Weakness classification (CWE)

Public proof-of-concept exploits

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-0232?
CVE-2019-0232 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apache Tomcat, classified under OS Command Injection. CVSS score: 8.1/10. Published 2019-04-15.
How severe is CVE-2019-0232?
High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 8.1 out of 10.
Is CVE-2019-0232 known to be exploited?
54 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed. Not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.