GHSA-698c-2x4j-g9gq is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) Buffer Overflow vulnerability in org.apache.tomcat:tomcat. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-698c-2x4j-g9gq is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer in Apache Tomcat
Real-World Exposure
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
The HTTP/2 header parser in Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.0.M11 and 8.5.0 to 8.5.6 entered an infinite loop if a header was received that was larger than the available buffer. This made a denial of service attack possible.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat | ≥ 9.0.0.M1&&< 9.0.0.M12 | 9.0.0.M12 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat | ≥ 8.5.0&&< 8.5.8 | 8.5.8 |
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. 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:tomcat to 9.0.0.M12 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-698c-2x4j-g9gq 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 GHSA-698c-2x4j-g9gq 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 GHSA-698c-2x4j-g9gq. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-698c-2x4j-g9gq in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-698c-2x4j-g9gq across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.