CVE-2023-28709
HIGHCVE-2023-28709 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) CWE-193 vulnerability in org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2023-28709 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Apache Tomcat: Fix for CVE-2023-24998 is incomplete
Blast Radius
org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core☕org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core☕org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core☕org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyoteReal-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 fix for CVE-2023-24998 was incomplete for Apache Tomcat 11.0.0-M2 to 11.0.0-M4, 10.1.5 to 10.1.7, 9.0.71 to 9.0.73 and 8.5.85 to 8.5.87. If non-default HTTP connector settings were used such that the maxParameterCount could be reached using query string parameters and a request was submitted that supplied exactly maxParameterCount parameters in the query string, the limit for uploaded request parts could be bypassed with the potential for a denial of service to occur.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core | ≥ 11.0.0-M2&&< 11.0.0-M5 | 11.0.0-M5 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core | ≥ 10.1.5&&< 10.1.8 | 10.1.8 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core | ≥ 9.0.71&&< 9.0.74 | 9.0.74 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote | ≥ 8.5.85&&< 8.5.88 | 8.5.88 |
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.embed:tomcat-embed-core. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core to 11.0.0-M5 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2023-28709 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 pinpoints whether CVE-2023-28709 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2023-28709. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2023-28709 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2023-28709 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.