How severe is CVE-2017-5648?

CVE-2017-5648 has a CVSS score of 9.1/10, rated CRITICAL. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2017-5648?

CVE-2017-5648 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-2017-5648?

Update org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina to 9.0.0.M18 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2017-5648 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2017-5648 in my Maven dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate CVE-2017-5648 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-2017-5648 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2017-5648 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-2017-5648?

CVE-2017-5648 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 13.2%, 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-2017-5648?

CVE-2017-5648 is classified as CWE-668 (CWE-668). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

When was CVE-2017-5648 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2017-5648 was published on April 17, 2017 and was last updated on October 24, 2026. 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

CRITICAL severity

CVE-2017-5648 — tomcat-catalina

CRITICALFix: apache/tomcat@0f7b946

CVE-2017-5648 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.1) CWE-668 vulnerability in org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina. EPSS puts its 30-day exploitation probability at 13.2% (96th percentile). A fix is available for org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere in Apache Tomcat

Also known asGHSA-3vx3-xf6q-r5xp

Published

Apr 17, 2017

Updated

Oct 24, 2026

Affected

8 pkgs

Patched

8 / 8

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Nov 1, 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-2017-5648.

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

13.2%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.

How urgent is this, really

Where this sits among everything scored

Real-World Exposure

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

While investigating bug 60718, it was noticed that some calls to application listeners in Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.0.M17, 8.5.0 to 8.5.11, 8.0.0.RC1 to 8.0.41, and 7.0.0 to 7.0.75 did not use the appropriate facade object. When running an untrusted application under a SecurityManager, it was therefore possible for that untrusted application to retain a reference to the request or response object and thereby access and/or modify information associated with another web application.

Affected Packages

8 total 8 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina`	≥ 9.0.0.M1&&< 9.0.0.M18	9.0.0.M18`org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina:9.0.0.M18`
☕Maven	`org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina`	≥ 8.5.0&&< 8.5.13	8.5.13`org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina:8.5.13`
☕Maven	`org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina`	≥ 8.0.0&&< 8.0.42	8.0.42`org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina:8.0.42`
☕Maven	`org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina`	≥ 7.0.0&&< 7.0.76	7.0.76`org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina:7.0.76`
☕Maven	`org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core`	≥ 9.0.0.M1&&< 9.0.0.M18	9.0.0.M18`org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core:9.0.0.M18`
☕Maven	`org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core`	≥ 8.5.0&&< 8.5.13	8.5.13`org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core:8.5.13`

Affected Products

1 product · 148 configurations

Application

tomcatapache

131 versions

7.0.07.0.17.0.27.0.37.0.47.0.57.0.67.0.77.0.87.0.97.0.107.0.11

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-catalina, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina to 9.0.0.M18 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2017-5648 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 HatModerate

Product	Fixed in	Advisory
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7	`tomcat-0:7.0.69-12.el7_3`	RHSA-2017:1809
Red Hat JBoss Web Server 3.1	see advisory	RHSA-2017:1802
Red Hat JBoss Web Server 3 for RHEL 6	`log4j-eap6-0:1.2.16-12.redhat_3.1.ep6.el6`	RHSA-2017:1801

UbuntuCRITICAL

USN-3519-1Ubuntu

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2017-5648 in your dependencies?

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