CVE-2005-4703: Apache Tomcat Denial of Service Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-x89r-2wjq-mj7x
Share
CWE-200
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2005-4703 is a MODERATE denial of service vulnerability (CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor) affecting Apache Tomcat libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves apache tomcat discloses ms-dos pathname. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2005-4703 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2005-4703
GHSA Identifier GHSA-x89r-2wjq-mj7x
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
Affected Product Apache Tomcat
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2005-4703

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: Latest secure release 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.tomcat</groupId>
    <artifactId>tomcat</artifactId>
    <version>Latest secure release</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-2005-4703, 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 the patched release), 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-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor, where the product exposes sensitive information to an actor that is not explicitly authorized to have access to that information. 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 4.0.3, when running on Windows, allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via a request for a file that contains an MS-DOS device name such as lpt9, which leaks the pathname in an error message, as demonstrated by `lpt9.xtp` using Nikto.

CVE-2005-4703 Affected Apache Tomcat Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.tomcat:tomcat
maven/org.apache.tomcat/tomcat
Maven
≤ 4.0.3

References

NVD — CVE-2005-4703 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2005-4703
exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/429... WEB
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/42914
lists.apache.org/thread.html/29dc6c2... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/29dc6c2b625789e70a9c4756b5a327e6547273ff8bde7e0327af48c5@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/c62b0e3... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/c62b0e3a7bf23342352a5810c640a94b6db69957c5c19db507004d74@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/rb71997... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rb71997f506c6cc8b530dd845c084995a9878098846c7b4eacfae8db3@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
Apache Tomcat Security Information SECURITY
https://web.archive.org/web/20080511145425/http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/28484
Apache Tomcat Security Information SECURITY
http://tomcat.apache.org/security-4.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2005-4703?
CVE-2005-4703 is a security vulnerability in Apache Tomcat involving Apache Tomcat Discloses MS-DOS Pathname under CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor.
Which Apache Tomcat versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: org.apache.tomcat:tomcat.
What version fixes CVE-2005-4703?
Upgrading to current release patches (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 Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2005-4703?
CVE-2005-4703 is classified under CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor (The product exposes sensitive information to an actor that is not explicitly authorized to have access to that information.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2005-4703?
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 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-x89r-2wjq-mj7x",
  "modified" : "2023-09-18T23:51:25Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-01T02:29:50Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2005-4703" ],
  "summary" : "Apache Tomcat Discloses MS-DOS Pathname",
  "details" : "Apache Tomcat 4.0.3, when running on Windows, allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via a request for a file that contains an MS-DOS device name such as lpt9, which leaks the pathname in an error message, as demonstrated by `lpt9.xtp` using Nikto.",
  "severity" : [ ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.tomcat:tomcat"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "4.0.3"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2005-4703"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/42914"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/29dc6c2b625789e70a9c4756b5a327e6547273ff8bde7e0327af48c5@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/c62b0e3a7bf23342352a5810c640a94b6db69957c5c19db507004d74@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rb71997f506c6cc8b530dd845c084995a9878098846c7b4eacfae8db3@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20080511145425/http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/28484"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://tomcat.apache.org/security-4.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-200" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-09-18T23:51:25Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2005-12-31T05:00:00Z"
  }
}