CVE-2012-0022: Apache Tomcat Denial of Service Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-8h2q-qm9x-55jc
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Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2012-0022 is a MODERATE denial of service vulnerability (General Security Weakness) affecting Apache Tomcat libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves denial of service in apache tomcat. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 5.5.35, 6.0.34, 7.0.23.

CVE-2012-0022 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2012-0022
GHSA Identifier GHSA-8h2q-qm9x-55jc
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification General Security Weakness
Affected Product Apache Tomcat
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2012-0022

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.

org.apache.tomcat:tomcat fixed: 5.5.35 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.tomcat</groupId>
    <artifactId>tomcat</artifactId>
    <version>5.5.35</version>
</dependency>
org.apache.tomcat:tomcat fixed: 6.0.34 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.tomcat</groupId>
    <artifactId>tomcat</artifactId>
    <version>6.0.34</version>
</dependency>
org.apache.tomcat:tomcat fixed: 7.0.23 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.tomcat</groupId>
    <artifactId>tomcat</artifactId>
    <version>7.0.23</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.tomcat

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2012-0022, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.tomcat

Analyze 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 5.5.35), 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 General Security Weakness. 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

Apache Tomcat 5.5.x before 5.5.35, 6.x before 6.0.34, and 7.x before 7.0.23 uses an inefficient approach for handling parameters, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via a request that contains many parameters and parameter values, a different vulnerability than CVE-2011-4858.

CVE-2012-0022 Affected Apache Tomcat Versions

3 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
5.5.356.0.347.0.23
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.tomcat:tomcat
maven/org.apache.tomcat/tomcat
Maven
≥ 5.5.0
< 5.5.35
5.5.35
org.apache.tomcat:tomcat
maven/org.apache.tomcat/tomcat
Maven
≥ 6.0.0
< 6.0.34
6.0.34
org.apache.tomcat:tomcat
maven/org.apache.tomcat/tomcat
Maven
≥ 7.0.0
< 7.0.23
7.0.23

References

NVD — CVE-2012-0022 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-0022
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/apache/tomcat55/commit/0314fe7743cb72e469cb395ccaaf2793a2ea0355
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/apache/tomcat55/commit/7a1cfb6bd2f849806e7c060dda8648409ad8714e
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/apache/tomcat55/commit/b05497eff4311a9657de6dfc53511d0309eb9db4
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2012:00... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012:0074
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2012:00... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012:0075
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2012:00... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012:0076
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2012:13... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012:1331
exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/724... WEB
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/72425
Apache Tomcat Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/apache/tomcat
lists.apache.org/thread.html/06cfb63... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/06cfb634bc7bf37af7d8f760f118018746ad8efbd519c4b789ac9c2e@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/8dcaf7c... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/8dcaf7c3894d66cb717646ea1504ea6e300021c85bb4e677dc16b1aa@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r3aacc4... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r3aacc40356defc3f248aa504b1e48e819dd0471a0a83349080c6bcbf@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r584a71... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r584a714f141eff7b1c358d4679288177bd4ca4558e9999d15867d4b5@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
Apache Tomcat Security Information SECURITY
https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval:org.mitre.oval:def:16925
Apache Tomcat Security Information SECURITY
https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval:org.mitre.oval:def:18934
marc.info/ WEB
http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=132871655717248&w=2
marc.info/ WEB
http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=133294394108746&w=2
marc.info/ WEB
http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=136485229118404&w=2
Apache Tomcat Security Information SECURITY
http://tomcat.apache.org/security-5.html
Apache Tomcat Security Information SECURITY
http://tomcat.apache.org/security-6.html
Apache Tomcat Security Information SECURITY
http://tomcat.apache.org/security-7.html
Apache Tomcat Security Information SECURITY
http://www.debian.org/security/2012/dsa-2401
Apache Tomcat Security Information SECURITY
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/cpujan2013-1515902.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2012-0022?
CVE-2012-0022 is a security vulnerability in Apache Tomcat involving Denial of Service in Apache Tomcat under General Security Weakness.
Which Apache Tomcat versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 5.5.35, 6.0.34, 7.0.23 across affected packages: org.apache.tomcat:tomcat.
What version fixes CVE-2012-0022?
Upgrading to 5.5.35, 6.0.34, 7.0.23 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is tomcat affected?
Yes, org.apache.tomcat:tomcat is affected in releases prior to 5.5.35, 6.0.34, 7.0.23. Upgrade your dependency to 5.5.35, 6.0.34, 7.0.23 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2012-0022?
CVE-2012-0022 is classified under General Security Weakness.
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2012-0022?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.tomcat'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
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