CVE-2011-2204 — tomcat
Fix: apache/tomcat@763a56bCVE-2011-2204 is a Information Exposure vulnerability in org.apache.tomcat:tomcat. A fix is available for org.apache.tomcat:tomcat — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File in Apache Tomcat
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:tomcat☕org.apache.tomcat:tomcat☕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 5.5.x before 5.5.34, 6.x before 6.0.33, and 7.x before 7.0.19, when the MemoryUserDatabase is used, creates log entries containing passwords upon encountering errors in JMX user creation, which allows local users to obtain sensitive information by reading a log file.
This issue was fixed in Apache Tomcat 7.0.17 but the release votes for the 7.0.17 and 7.0.18 release candidates did not pass. Therefore, users must download 7.0.19 to obtain a version that includes a fix.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat | ≥ 5.5.0&&< 5.5.34 | 5.5.34org.apache.tomcat:tomcat:5.5.34 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat | ≥ 6.0.0&&< 6.0.33 | 6.0.33org.apache.tomcat:tomcat:6.0.33 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat | ≥ 7.0.0&&< 7.0.19 | 7.0.19org.apache.tomcat:tomcat:7.0.19 |
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 5.5.34 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2011-2204 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-2011-2204 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2011-2204. 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.
The Red Hat Security Response Team has rated this issue as having low security impact, a future update may address this flaw.
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 | tomcat5-0:5.5.23-0jpp.22.el5_7 | RHSA-2011:1845 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | tomcat6-0:6.0.24-35.el6_1 | RHSA-2011:1780 |
| Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Web Server 1 for RHEL 5 | tomcat5-0:5.5.33-27_patch_07.ep5.el5 | RHSA-2012:0680 |
| Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Web Server 1 for RHEL 5 | tomcat6-0:6.0.32-24_patch_07.ep5.el5 | RHSA-2012:0682 |
| Red Hat JBoss Web Server 1.0 | see advisory | RHSA-2012:0679 |
| Red Hat JBoss Web Server 1.0 | see advisory | RHSA-2012:0681 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2011-2204 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2011-2204 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.