Apache Tomcat vulnerable to Generation of Error Message Containing Sensitive InformationGHSA-f4qf-m5gf-8jm8
MEDIUMFix: apache/tomcat@86ccc43GHSA-f4qf-m5gf-8jm8 is a medium-severity (CVSS 5.3) CWE-209 vulnerability in org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote. 2 public exploit or proof-of-concept references are indexed, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote — see the affected versions and patch details below.
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 GHSA-f4qf-m5gf-8jm8.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
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
org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote☕org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core☕org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core☕org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote☕org.apache.tomcat.experimental:tomcat-embed-programmaticReal-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
Generation of Error Message Containing Sensitive Information vulnerability in Apache Tomcat.This issue affects Apache Tomcat: from 8.5.7 through 8.5.63, from 9.0.0-M11 through 9.0.43. Other, EOL versions may also be affected.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 8.5.64 onwards or 9.0.44 onwards, which contain a fix for the issue.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote | ≥ 9.0.0-M11&&< 9.0.44 | 9.0.44org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote:9.0.44 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core | ≥ 8.5.7&&< 8.5.64 | 8.5.64org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core:8.5.64 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core | ≥ 9.0.0-M11&&< 9.0.44 | 9.0.44org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core:9.0.44 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote | ≥ 8.5.7&&< 8.5.64 | 8.5.64org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote:8.5.64 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat.experimental:tomcat-embed-programmatic | ≥ 9.0.43&&< 9.0.44 | 9.0.44org.apache.tomcat.experimental:tomcat-embed-programmatic:9.0.44 |
Affected Products
tomcatapacheResearch 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-coyote, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote to 9.0.44 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-f4qf-m5gf-8jm8 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 Hat Enterprise Linux remains unaffected as the vulnerable version of Tomcat (e.g., versions 8.5.7 through 8.5.63 and 9.0.0 through 9.0.43) has not been shipped or included.
Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options don't meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base or stability.Source: Red Hat security advisory for GHSA-f4qf-m5gf-8jm8 (CC BY 4.0)
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat build of Apache Camel 4.4.0 for Spring Boot | tomcat | RHSA-2024:2707 |
| Red Hat Fuse 7.13.0 | tomcat | RHSA-2024:3354 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-f4qf-m5gf-8jm8 in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.