CVE-2021-41079: Apache Tomcat Infinite Loop Vulnerability
HIGHCVE-2021-41079 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) infinite loop vulnerability (CWE-20: Improper Input Validation) affecting Apache Tomcat libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves infinite loop in tomcat due to parsing error. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 10.0.4, 9.0.44, 8.5.64.
CVE-2021-41079 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 7.5
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).
How to Fix CVE-2021-41079
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Apache Tomcat dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.
<dependency>
<groupId>org.apache.tomcat</groupId>
<artifactId>tomcat</artifactId>
<version>10.0.4</version>
</dependency><dependency>
<groupId>org.apache.tomcat</groupId>
<artifactId>tomcat</artifactId>
<version>9.0.44</version>
</dependency><dependency>
<groupId>org.apache.tomcat</groupId>
<artifactId>tomcat</artifactId>
<version>8.5.64</version>
</dependency>Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.tomcatHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2021-41079, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:
mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.tomcatAnalyze the terminal output to locate any version of Apache Tomcat in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 10.0.4), your application is affected.
Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.tomcat command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.
Technical Details
Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis
This vulnerability is classified under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation, where the product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly. In Apache Tomcat, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.
Source Advisory Statement
CVE-2021-41079 Affected Apache Tomcat Versions
3 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
org.apache.tomcat:tomcat
|
Maven |
≥ 10.0.0
< 10.0.4
|
10.0.4
|
|
org.apache.tomcat:tomcat
|
Maven |
≥ 9.0.0
< 9.0.44
|
9.0.44
|
|
org.apache.tomcat:tomcat
|
Maven |
≥ 8.5.0
< 8.5.64
|
8.5.64
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2021-41079?
Which Apache Tomcat versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2021-41079?
Is tomcat affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-41079?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-41079?
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-41079?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-59g9-7gfx-c72p",
"modified" : "2021-10-18T14:52:03Z",
"published" : "2021-09-20T20:45:44Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-41079" ],
"summary" : "Infinite loop in Tomcat due to parsing error",
"details" : "Apache Tomcat 8.5.0 to 8.5.63, 9.0.0-M1 to 9.0.43 and 10.0.0-M1 to 10.0.2 did not properly validate incoming TLS packets. When Tomcat was configured to use NIO+OpenSSL or NIO2+OpenSSL for TLS, a specially crafted packet could be used to trigger an infinite loop resulting in a denial of service.",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Maven",
"name" : "org.apache.tomcat:tomcat"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "10.0.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "10.0.4"
} ]
} ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Maven",
"name" : "org.apache.tomcat:tomcat"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "9.0.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "9.0.44"
} ]
} ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Maven",
"name" : "org.apache.tomcat:tomcat"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "8.5.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "8.5.64"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-41079"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/apache/tomcat/commit/34115fb3c83f6cd97772232316a492a4cc5729e0"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/apache/tomcat"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r6b6b674e3f168dd010e67dbe6848b866e2acf26371452fdae313b98a@%3Cusers.tomcat.apache.org%3E"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rb4de81ac647043541a32881099aa6eb5a23f1b7fd116f713f8ab9dbe@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rccdef0349fdf4fb73a4e4403095446d7fe6264e0a58e2df5c6799434%40%3Cannounce.tomcat.apache.org%3E"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/09/msg00012.html"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20211008-0005"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4986"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-20", "CWE-835" ],
"severity" : "HIGH",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2021-09-17T18:01:45Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2021-09-16T15:15:00Z"
}
}