How severe is CVE-2009-0781?

No CVSS score has been assigned to CVE-2009-0781 yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2009-0781?

CVE-2009-0781 affects the following packages: org.apache.tomcat:tomcat (Maven), org.apache.tomcat:tomcat (Maven), org.apache.tomcat:tomcat (Maven). Ecosystems affected: Maven.

How do I fix CVE-2009-0781?

A fix is available for CVE-2009-0781; check the affected-versions list above or the advisory for the patched release of org.apache.tomcat:tomcat, then make sure no transitive dependency still pins the vulnerable range.

How do I detect CVE-2009-0781 in my Maven dependencies?

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.

How do I mitigate CVE-2009-0781 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Escape or sanitise the affected output on the server side rather than relying on client-side filtering, and add a Content-Security-Policy that blocks inline script execution so injected markup cannot run even if it reaches the page.

Is CVE-2009-0781 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2009-0781 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2009-0781?

CVE-2009-0781 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 9.7%, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2009-0781?

CVE-2009-0781 is classified as Cross-site Scripting (XSS) (CWE-79). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation. This is a high-impact weakness class that often enables remote code execution or data exposure.

When was CVE-2009-0781 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2009-0781 was published on May 2, 2022 and was last updated on November 8, 2023. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

☕ Maven

Not in CISA KEV

CVE-2009-0781 — tomcat

CVE-2009-0781 is a Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in org.apache.tomcat:tomcat. A fix is available for org.apache.tomcat:tomcat — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Cross-site scripting in Apache Tomcat

Published

May 2, 2022

Updated

Nov 8, 2023

Affected

3 pkgs

Patched

1 / 3

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Nov 1, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

9.7%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk+0.59%

Lower risk than most CVEs96th percentile — riskier than 96% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

Real-World Exposure

3 pkgs affected

☕org.apache.tomcat:tomcat☕org.apache.tomcat:tomcat☕org.apache.tomcat:tomcat

Real-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

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in jsp/cal/cal2.jsp in the calendar application in the examples web application in Apache Tomcat 4.1.0 through 4.1.39, 5.5.0 through 5.5.27, and 6.0.0 through 6.0.18 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the time parameter, related to "invalid HTML."

Affected Packages

3 total 1 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.apache.tomcat:tomcat`	≥ 4.1.0	No fix
☕Maven	`org.apache.tomcat:tomcat`	≥ 5.5.0	No fix
☕Maven	`org.apache.tomcat:tomcat`	≥ 6.0.0&&< 6.0.20	6.0.20`org.apache.tomcat:tomcat:6.0.20`

Affected Products

1 product · 85 configurations

Application

tomcatapache

83 versions

4.1.04.1.14.1.24.1.34.1.44.1.54.1.64.1.74.1.84.1.94.1.104.1.11

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
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
A fix is available for CVE-2009-0781; check the affected-versions list above or the advisory for the patched release of org.apache.tomcat:tomcat, then make sure no transitive dependency still pins the vulnerable range.
Workarounds
Escape or sanitise the affected output on the server side rather than relying on client-side filtering, and add a Content-Security-Policy that blocks inline script execution so injected markup cannot run even if it reaches the page.

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.

Red HatLow

Red Hat is aware of this issue and is tracking it via the following bug: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2009-0781 The Red Hat Product Security has rated this issue as having low security impact, a future update may address this flaw. More information regarding issue severity can be found…

Product	Fixed in	Advisory
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5	`tomcat5-0:5.5.23-0jpp.7.el5_3.2`	RHSA-2009:1164
RHAPS Version 2 for RHEL 4	`tomcat5-0:5.5.23-0jpp_4rh.16`	RHSA-2009:1562

Ubuntu

USN-788-1Ubuntu

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

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