CVE-2002-2272 — tomcat
CVE-2002-2272 is a Buffer Overflow vulnerability in org.apache.tomcat:tomcat. 2 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. No vendor fix is recorded yet; mitigation options are listed below.
Apache Tomcat DoS via Malicious Get Request
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
Real-World Exposure
org.apache.tomcat:tomcatReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Tomcat 4.0 through 4.1.12, using mod_jk 1.2.1 module on Apache 1.3 through 1.3.27, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (desynchronized communications) via an HTTP GET request with a Transfer-Encoding chunked field with invalid values.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat | ≥ 4.0.0 | No fix |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Apache 1.3.x + Tomcat 4.0.x/4.1.x mod_jk - Chunked Encoding Denial of Service
by Sapient2003 · Dec 4, 2002
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.tomcat:tomcat, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Remediation status
No patched version of org.apache.tomcat:tomcat has shipped for CVE-2002-2272 yet. Where your build allows, override or pin the dependency away from the vulnerable range, and apply any maintainer-recommended mitigation.
Mitigate without a patch
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2002-2272 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2002-2272. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2002-2272 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2002-2272 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.