GHSA-hfrx-6qgj-fp6c is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) CWE-770 vulnerability in commons-fileupload:commons-fileupload. 2 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-hfrx-6qgj-fp6c is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Apache Commons FileUpload denial of service vulnerability
Real-World Exposure
commons-fileupload:commons-fileupload☕org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote☕org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote☕org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote☕org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote☕org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core☕org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core☕org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core+5 moreReal-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
Apache Commons FileUpload before 1.5 does not limit the number of request parts to be processed resulting in the possibility of an attacker triggering a DoS with a malicious upload or series of uploads. Note that, like all of the file upload limits, the new configuration option (FileUploadBase#setFileCountMax) is not enabled by default and must be explicitly configured.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | commons-fileupload:commons-fileupload | all versions | 1.5 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote | ≥ 10.1.0-M1&&< 10.1.5 | 10.1.5 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote | ≥ 11.0.0-M2&&< 11.0.0-M5 | 11.0.0-M5 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote | ≥ 8.5.85&&< 8.5.88 | 8.5.88 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote | ≥ 9.0.0-M1&&< 9.0.71 | 9.0.71 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core | ≥ 10.1.0-M1&&< 10.1.5 | 10.1.5 |
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 commons-fileupload:commons-fileupload. 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 commons-fileupload:commons-fileupload to 1.5 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-hfrx-6qgj-fp6c 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-hfrx-6qgj-fp6c 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-hfrx-6qgj-fp6c. 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-hfrx-6qgj-fp6c in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-hfrx-6qgj-fp6c across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.