CVE-2022-34305 — tomcat
MEDIUMCVE-2022-34305 is a medium-severity (CVSS 6.1) Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in org.apache.tomcat:tomcat. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.apache.tomcat:tomcat — see the affected versions and patch details below.
XSS in examples web application
EPSS Exploitation Probability
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.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2022-34305 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 378,567 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
org.apache.tomcat:tomcat☕org.apache.tomcat:tomcat☕org.apache.tomcat:tomcat☕org.apache.tomcat:tomcatReal-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
In Apache Tomcat 10.1.0-M1 to 10.1.0-M16, 10.0.0-M1 to 10.0.22, 9.0.30 to 9.0.64 and 8.5.50 to 8.5.81 the Form authentication example in the examples web application displayed user provided data without filtering, exposing a XSS vulnerability.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat | ≥ 10.1.0-M1&&< 10.1.0-M17 | 10.1.0-M17org.apache.tomcat:tomcat:10.1.0-M17 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat | ≥ 10.0.0-M1&&< 10.0.22 | 10.0.22org.apache.tomcat:tomcat:10.0.22 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat | ≥ 9.0.30&&< 9.0.65 | 9.0.65org.apache.tomcat:tomcat:9.0.65 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat | ≥ 8.5.50&&< 8.5.82 | 8.5.82org.apache.tomcat:tomcat:8.5.82 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
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 10.1.0-M17 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2022-34305 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.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2022-34305 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2022-34305. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
How to detect CVE-2022-34305
A community-maintained Nuclei template exists for this CVE. You can scan for it directly:
nuclei -id cve-2022-34305 -u https://target- Template
- Apache Tomcat Examples Web Application - Cross-Site Scripting
- Severity
- medium
- Impact
- Attackers can execute malicious scripts in victim browsers, leading to session hijacking, defacement, or redirection.
- Remediation
- Update to the latest version of Apache Tomcat where this issue is fixed.
Template by ProjectDiscovery nuclei-templates (Sourabh-Sahu), MIT licensed. View the full template. Scan only systems you are authorised to test.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2022-34305 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2022-34305 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.