How severe is CVE-2019-0232?

CVE-2019-0232 has a CVSS score of 8.1/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2019-0232?

CVE-2019-0232 affects the following packages: 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-2019-0232?

Update org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core to 9.0.17 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2019-0232 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2019-0232 in my Maven dependencies?

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

How do I mitigate CVE-2019-0232 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Stop passing untrusted input into the interpreter or shell: call the affected binary with an argument array rather than a composed command string, reject anything outside a strict allowlist of expected values, and run the component under an account that cannot reach beyond the work it legitimately does.

Is CVE-2019-0232 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 16 known exploit references for CVE-2019-0232, including 1 documented proof-of-concept exploit 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-2019-0232?

CVE-2019-0232 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 99.9%, 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.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2019-0232?

CVE-2019-0232 is classified as OS Command Injection (CWE-78). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation. This is a high-impact weakness class that often enables remote code execution or data exposure.

Is there exploit tooling available for CVE-2019-0232?

A Nuclei detection template exists for CVE-2019-0232, 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-2019-0232 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2019-0232 was published on April 15, 2019 and was last updated on October 20, 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

HIGH severity

CVE-2019-0232 — tomcat-embed-core

HIGH

CVE-2019-0232 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.1) OS Command Injection vulnerability in org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core. 16 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Apache Tomcat OS Command Injection vulnerability

Also known asGHSA-8vmx-qmch-mpqg

Published

Apr 15, 2019

Updated

Oct 20, 2026

Affected

3 pkgs

Patched

3 / 3

Exploits

16 known

Exploitation data as of Oct 22, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

99.9%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Very High Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs100th percentile — riskier than 100% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

How urgent is this, really

CVE-2019-0232 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). In the shaded patch-first corner (EPSS 50%+, CVSS 7.0+).

Where this sits among everything scored

Of 394,415 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the ≥ 90% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.

Real-World Exposure

3 pkgs affected

☕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 on Windows with enableCmdLineArguments enabled, the CGI Servlet in Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.17, 8.5.0 to 8.5.39 and 7.0.0 to 7.0.93 is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution due to a bug in the way the JRE passes command line arguments to Windows. The CGI Servlet is disabled by default. The CGI option enableCmdLineArguments is disable by default in Tomcat 9.0.x (and will be disabled by default in all versions in response to this vulnerability). For a detailed explanation of the JRE behaviour, see Markus Wulftange's blog (https://codewhitesec.blogspot.com/2016/02/java-and-command-line-injections-in-windows.html) and this archived MSDN blog (https://web.archive.org/web/20161228144344/https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/twistylittlepassagesallalike/2011/04/23/everyone-quotes-command-line-arguments-the-wrong-way/).

Affected Packages

3 total 3 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core`	≥ 9.0.0.M1&&< 9.0.17	9.0.17`org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core:9.0.17`
☕Maven	`org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core`	≥ 8.0.0&&< 8.5.40	8.5.40`org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core:8.5.40`
☕Maven	`org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core`	≥ 7.0.0&&< 7.0.94	7.0.94`org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core:7.0.94`

Affected Products

1 product · 29 configurations

Application

tomcatapache

≥ 9.0.1 && ≤ 9.0.17

1 version

9.0.0

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-47073remotewindows✓ Verified

Apache Tomcat - CGIServlet enableCmdLineArguments Remote Code Execution (Metasploit)

by Metasploit · Jul 3, 2019

Exploit-DB Source

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.embed:tomcat-embed-core, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core to 9.0.17 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2019-0232 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Stop passing untrusted input into the interpreter or shell: call the affected binary with an argument array rather than a composed command string, reject anything outside a strict allowlist of expected values, and run the component under an account that cannot reach beyond the work it legitimately does.

How to detect CVE-2019-0232

A community-maintained Nuclei template exists for this CVE. You can scan for it directly:

nuclei -id cve-2019-0232 -u https://target

Template: Apache Tomcat `CGIServlet` enableCmdLineArguments - Remote Code Execution
Severity: high
Impact: Attackers can execute arbitrary system commands on Windows systems when CGI Servlet is enabled with enableCmdLineArguments, leading to complete server compromise.
Remediation: Upgrade to Tomcat 9.0.18, 8.5.40, 7.0.94 or later, and ensure enableCmdLineArguments is disabled.

Template by ProjectDiscovery nuclei-templates (DhiyaneshDk), MIT licensed. View the full template. Scan only systems you are authorised to test.

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

This vulnerability is specific to the Windows platform's treatment of file names and how they must be quoted. Tomcat running on Linux hosts is not affected.

Product	Fixed in	Advisory
Red Hat JBoss Web Server 3.1	`tomcat7`	RHSA-2019:1712
Red Hat JBoss Web Server 5.2 on RHEL 6	`jws5-ecj-0:4.12.0-1.redhat_1.1.el6jws`	RHSA-2019:3929

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2019-0232 in your dependencies?

Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.

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