CVE-2006-3835 — tomcat
CVE-2006-3835 is a security vulnerability in org.apache.tomcat:tomcat. 3 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.apache.tomcat:tomcat — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Apache Tomcat Reveals Directories
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
Apache Tomcat 5 before 5.5.17 allows remote attackers to list directories via a semicolon (;) preceding a filename with a mapped extension, as demonstrated by URLs ending with /;index.jsp and /;help.do.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat | ≥ 5.0.0&&< 5.5.17 | 5.5.17org.apache.tomcat:tomcat:5.5.17 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Apache Tomcat 5 - Information Disclosure
by ScanAlert Security · Jul 21, 2006
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.
Fix
Update org.apache.tomcat:tomcat to 5.5.17 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2006-3835 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
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-2006-3835 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2006-3835. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
This issue is not a security issue in Tomcat itself, but is caused when directory listings are enabled. Details on how to disable directory listings are available at: http://tomcat.apache.org/faq/misc.html#listing
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Certificate System 7.3 | ant-0:1.6.5-1jpp_1rh | RHSA-2010:0602 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite Server v 4.0 | jakarta-commons-pool-0:1.2-2jpp_2rh | RHSA-2007:1069 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite Server v 4.2 | jabberd-0:2.0s10-3.38.rhn | RHSA-2008:0524 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite Server v 5.0 | jabberd-0:2.0s10-3.38.rhn | RHSA-2008:0261 |
| RHAPS Version 1 for RHEL 3 | tomcat5-0:5.0.30-0jpp_5rh | RHSA-2007:0340 |
| RHAPS Version 2 for RHEL 4 | jakarta-commons-modeler-0:2.0-3jpp_2rh | RHSA-2007:0326 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2006-3835 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2006-3835 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.