How severe is CVE-2012-3546?

No CVSS score has been assigned to CVE-2012-3546 yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2012-3546?

CVE-2012-3546 affects the following packages: org.apache.tomcat:tomcat (Maven), org.apache.tomcat:tomcat (Maven). Ecosystems affected: Maven.

How do I fix CVE-2012-3546?

Update org.apache.tomcat:tomcat to 6.0.36 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2012-3546 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2012-3546 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-2012-3546 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

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.

Is CVE-2012-3546 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2012-3546 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-2012-3546?

CVE-2012-3546 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 12.0%, 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 warrants monitoring and prompt remediation.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2012-3546?

CVE-2012-3546 is classified as CWE-264 (CWE-264). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

When was CVE-2012-3546 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2012-3546 was published on May 17, 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-2012-3546 — tomcat

Fix: apache/tomcat@f78c0cd

CVE-2012-3546 is a CWE-264 vulnerability in org.apache.tomcat:tomcat. EPSS puts its 30-day exploitation probability at 12.0% (96th percentile). A fix is available for org.apache.tomcat:tomcat — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Authentication Bypass in Apache Tomcat

Published

May 17, 2022

Updated

Nov 8, 2023

Affected

2 pkgs

Patched

2 / 2

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Nov 2, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

12.0%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Moderate Risk0.00%

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

2 pkgs affected

☕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

org/apache/catalina/realm/RealmBase.java in Apache Tomcat 6.x before 6.0.36 and 7.x before 7.0.30, when FORM authentication is used, allows remote attackers to bypass security-constraint checks by leveraging a previous setUserPrincipal call and then placing /j_security_check at the end of a URI.

Affected Packages

2 total 2 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.apache.tomcat:tomcat`	≥ 6.0.0&&< 6.0.36	6.0.36`org.apache.tomcat:tomcat:6.0.36`
☕Maven	`org.apache.tomcat:tomcat`	≥ 7.0.0&&< 7.0.30	7.0.30`org.apache.tomcat:tomcat:7.0.30`

Affected Products

1 product · 66 configurations

Application

tomcatapache

58 versions

6.06.0.06.0.16.0.26.0.36.0.46.0.56.0.66.0.76.0.86.0.96.0.10

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
Update org.apache.tomcat:tomcat to 6.0.36 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2012-3546 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.

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 HatImportant

Tomcat 5.5 has reached the end of its supported upstream life-cycle, and the Apache Tomcat project no longer tests security flaws to determine whether they affect Tomcat 5.5. Red Hat has tested tomcat 5.5 as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 and JBoss Enterprise Web Server 1, and found that it is affected by…

Product	Fixed in	Advisory
JBEWP 5 for RHEL 5	`aopalliance-0:1.0-5.2.jdk6.ep5.el5`	RHSA-2013:0196
JBEWP 5 for RHEL 6	`aopalliance-0:1.0-5.3.ep5.el6`	RHSA-2013:0195
JBoss Enterprise BRMS Platform 5.3	see advisory	RHSA-2013:0221
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5	`tomcat5-0:5.5.23-0jpp.38.el5_9`	RHSA-2013:0640
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6	`tomcat6-0:6.0.24-52.el6_4`	RHSA-2013:0623
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 4.3	see advisory	RHSA-2013:0146
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 4.3 for RHEL 5	`jbossas-0:4.3.0-11.GA_CP10_patch_02.2.ep1.el5`	RHSA-2013:0147
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 5.2	see advisory	RHSA-2013:0194

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2012-3546 in your dependencies?

Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.

Scan my dependencies How O3 SCA works