How severe is CVE-2017-12617?

CVE-2017-12617 has a CVSS score of 8.1/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2017-12617?

CVE-2017-12617 affects the following packages: org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina (Maven), org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina (Maven), org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina (Maven), org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina (Maven), org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core (Maven), org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core (Maven), org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core (Maven), org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core (Maven). Ecosystems affected: Maven.

How do I fix CVE-2017-12617?

Update org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina to version 9.0.1 or later. Run your dependency manager's update command and verify no transitive dependencies pin the vulnerable version. Use O3 Security's SCA scanner to confirm the fix is applied across your entire dependency tree.

Is CVE-2017-12617 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 14 known exploit references for CVE-2017-12617, including 2 documented proof-of-concept exploits on Exploit-DB and 9 in-the-wild exploitations observed on GitHub and other sources. Treat this as actively exploitable and prioritize patching immediately. All exploit code should only be run in an isolated sandbox environment for research or authorized testing — never against production systems without explicit written authorization.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2017-12617?

CVE-2017-12617 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 94.4%, placing it in the 100th 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. A score above 50% indicates significantly elevated exploitation risk — immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Is CVE-2017-12617 in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog?

Yes. CVE-2017-12617 (Apache Tomcat Remote Code Execution Vulnerability) was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2022-03-25. CISA required all US federal civilian agencies to remediate this vulnerability by 2022-04-15. The required action was: Apply updates per vendor instructions. Being listed in the KEV catalog is the strongest possible confirmation of active exploitation — treat this as a critical priority.

Is there exploit tooling available for CVE-2017-12617?

A Nuclei detection template exists for CVE-2017-12617, meaning automated scanners can fingerprint it. Public exploit tooling significantly increases real-world risk — prioritize patching and ensure detection coverage. Exploit tooling should only ever be used in isolated, authorized testing environments.

When was CVE-2017-12617 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2017-12617 was published on October 4, 2017 and was last updated on April 16, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

CISA KEV·Added 2022-03-25 — agencies required to remediate by 2022-04-15

☕ Maven

CVE-2017-12617

HIGH

Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type Apache Tomcat

Also known asGHSA-xjgh-84hx-56c5

Published

Oct 4, 2017

Updated

Apr 16, 2026

Affected

8 pkgs

Patched

8 / 8

Exploits

14 known

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

94.4%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Very High Risk100th percentile0.00%

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.

Blast Radius

8 pkgs affected

☕org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina☕org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina☕org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina☕org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina☕org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core☕org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core☕org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core☕org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core

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

When running Apache Tomcat versions 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.0, 8.5.0 to 8.5.22, 8.0.0.RC1 to 8.0.46 and 7.0.0 to 7.0.81 with HTTP PUTs enabled (e.g. via setting the readonly initialisation parameter of the Default servlet to false) it was possible to upload a JSP file to the server via a specially crafted request. This JSP could then be requested and any code it contained would be executed by the server.

Affected Packages

8 total 8 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina`	≥ 9.0.0.M1&&< 9.0.1	9.0.1
☕Maven	`org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina`	≥ 8.5.0&&< 8.5.23	8.5.23
☕Maven	`org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina`	≥ 8.0.0-RC1&&< 8.0.47	8.0.47
☕Maven	`org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina`	≥ 7.0.0&&< 7.0.82	7.0.82
☕Maven	`org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core`	≥ 9.0.0.M1&&< 9.0.1	9.0.1
☕Maven	`org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core`	≥ 8.5.0&&< 8.5.23	8.5.23

Exploits & PoCs

Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.

EDB-42966webappsjsp✓ Verified

Apache Tomcat < 9.0.1 (Beta) / < 8.5.23 / < 8.0.47 / < 7.0.8 - JSP Upload Bypass / Remote Code Execution (2)

by intx0x80 · Oct 9, 2017

Exploit-DB Source

EDB-43008remotejava✓ Verified

Tomcat - Remote Code Execution via JSP Upload Bypass (Metasploit)

by Metasploit · Oct 17, 2017

Exploit-DB Source

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2017-12617 in your stack?

O3 detects CVE-2017-12617 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.

Scan my stack How O3 SCA works