How severe is CVE-2012-5887?

No CVSS score has been assigned to CVE-2012-5887 yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2012-5887?

CVE-2012-5887 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-2012-5887?

Update org.apache.tomcat:tomcat to 5.5.36 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2012-5887 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2012-5887 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-2012-5887 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Put an independent control in front of the weakness: restrict the affected endpoint or interface to trusted networks, require an additional authentication factor or proxy-level check, and invalidate existing sessions and credentials in case the flaw has already been used.

Is CVE-2012-5887 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2012-5887 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-2012-5887?

CVE-2012-5887 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 12.1%, 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-2012-5887?

CVE-2012-5887 is classified as Improper Authentication (CWE-287). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

When was CVE-2012-5887 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2012-5887 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-2012-5887 — tomcat

CVE-2012-5887 is a Improper Authentication vulnerability in org.apache.tomcat:tomcat. EPSS puts its 30-day exploitation probability at 12.1% (96th percentile). A fix is available for org.apache.tomcat:tomcat — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Improper Authentication in Apache Tomcat

Published

May 17, 2022

Updated

Nov 8, 2023

Affected

3 pkgs

Patched

3 / 3

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Oct 31, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

Exploitation Status

No confirmed exploitation observed yet

CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.

Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2012-5887.

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

12.1%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

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

The HTTP Digest Access Authentication implementation in Apache Tomcat 5.5.x before 5.5.36, 6.x before 6.0.36, and 7.x before 7.0.30 does not properly check for stale nonce values in conjunction with enforcement of proper credentials, which makes it easier for remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions by sniffing the network for valid requests.

Affected Packages

3 total 3 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.apache.tomcat:tomcat`	≥ 5.5.0&&< 5.5.36	5.5.36`org.apache.tomcat:tomcat:5.5.36`
☕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 · 3 configurations

Application

tomcatapache

≥ 7.0.0 && < 7.0.30

range

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 5.5.36 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2012-5887 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Put an independent control in front of the weakness: restrict the affected endpoint or interface to trusted networks, require an additional authentication factor or proxy-level check, and invalidate existing sessions and credentials in case the flaw has already been used.

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 HatModerate

Product	Fixed in	Advisory
JBEWP 5 for RHEL 5	`jbossweb-0:2.1.13-3_patch_02.ep5.el5`	RHSA-2013:0631
JBoss Data Grid 6.1	see advisory	RHSA-2013:0665
JBoss Enterprise BRMS Platform 5.3	see advisory	RHSA-2013:1006
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 5.2	see advisory	RHSA-2013:0632
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 5 for RHEL 5	`jbossweb-0:2.1.13-3_patch_02.ep5.el5`	RHSA-2013:0629
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6.0	see advisory	RHSA-2013:0648

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

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