GHSA-m7jv-hq7h-mq7c is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) CWE-835 vulnerability in org.apache.tomcat:tomcat. 2 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.apache.tomcat:tomcat — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Infinite Loop in Apache Tomcat
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
GHSA-m7jv-hq7h-mq7c plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE sits: patch-first territory.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,166 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the 50–90% 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:tomcat☕org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-websocket☕org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-websocket☕org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-websocket☕org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-websocket+4 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
The payload length in a WebSocket frame was not correctly validated in Apache Tomcat 10.0.0-M1 to 10.0.0-M6, 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.36, 8.5.0 to 8.5.56 and 7.0.27 to 7.0.104. Invalid payload lengths could trigger an infinite loop. Multiple requests with invalid payload lengths could lead to a denial of service.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat | ≥ 10.0.0-M1&&< 10.0.0-M7 | 10.0.0-M7org.apache.tomcat:tomcat:10.0.0-M7 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat | ≥ 9.0.0.M1&&< 9.0.37 | 9.0.37org.apache.tomcat:tomcat:9.0.37 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat | ≥ 8.5.0&&< 8.5.57 | 8.5.57org.apache.tomcat:tomcat:8.5.57 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat | ≥ 7.0.27&&< 7.0.105 | 7.0.105org.apache.tomcat:tomcat:7.0.105 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-websocket | ≥ 7.0.27&&< 7.0.105 | 7.0.105org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-websocket:7.0.105 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-websocket | ≥ 8.5.0&&< 8.5.57 | 8.5.57org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-websocket:8.5.57 |
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 10.0.0-M7 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-m7jv-hq7h-mq7c 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 GHSA-m7jv-hq7h-mq7c can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-m7jv-hq7h-mq7c. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
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 Certificate System 10.0 as well as Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8's Identity Management, are using a vulnerable version of Tomcat, bundled into the pki-servlet-engine component. However, there is no entry point for WebSockets, thus it is not possible to trigger the flaw in a supported setup. A future update may…
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| EAP 6.4.24 release | see advisory | RHSA-2022:5458 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | tomcat-0:7.0.76-15.el7 | RHSA-2020:4004 |
| Red Hat Fuse 7.9 | tomcat | RHSA-2021:3140 |
| Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6.4 async | jbossweb | RHSA-2020:3382 |
| Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6.4 for RHEL 5 | jbossweb-0:7.5.31-2.Final_redhat_2.1.ep6.el5 | RHSA-2020:3383 |
| Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6.4 for RHEL 6 | jboss-as-appclient-0:7.5.24-2.Final_redhat_00001.1.ep6.el6 | RHSA-2022:5459 |
| Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6.4 for RHEL 7 | jboss-as-appclient-0:7.5.24-2.Final_redhat_00001.1.ep6.el7 | RHSA-2022:5460 |
| Red Hat JBoss Web Server 3.1 | tomcat | RHSA-2020:3305 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-m7jv-hq7h-mq7c in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-m7jv-hq7h-mq7c across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.