CVE-2003-0866: Apache Tomcat Denial of Service Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-7wj2-48c4-2684
Share
CWE-400
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2003-0866 is a MODERATE denial of service vulnerability (CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) affecting Apache Tomcat libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves apache tomcat denial of service vulnerability in the catalina package. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 4.1.0.

CVE-2003-0866 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2003-0866
GHSA Identifier GHSA-7wj2-48c4-2684
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
Affected Product Apache Tomcat
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2003-0866

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: 4.1.0 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.tomcat</groupId>
    <artifactId>tomcat</artifactId>
    <version>4.1.0</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-2003-0866, 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 4.1.0), 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-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption, where the product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource. 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

The Catalina org.apache.catalina.connector.http package in Tomcat 4.0.x up to 4.0.6 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via several requests that do not follow the HTTP protocol, which causes Tomcat to reject later requests.

CVE-2003-0866 Affected Apache Tomcat Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
4.1.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.tomcat:tomcat
maven/org.apache.tomcat/tomcat
Maven
≥ 4.0
< 4.1.0
4.1.0

References

NVD — CVE-2003-0866 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2003-0866
exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/134... WEB
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/13429
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
bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.c... WEB
http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=215506
secunia.com/advisories/30899 WEB
http://secunia.com/advisories/30899
secunia.com/advisories/30908 WEB
http://secunia.com/advisories/30908
sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do WEB
http://sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1-26-239312-1
Apache Tomcat Security Information SECURITY
http://tomcat.apache.org/security-4.html
Apache Tomcat Security Information SECURITY
http://www.debian.org/security/2003/dsa-395
Apache Tomcat Security Information SECURITY
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/8824
www.vupen.com/english/advisories/... WEB
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2008/1979/references

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2003-0866?
CVE-2003-0866 is a security vulnerability in Apache Tomcat involving Apache Tomcat Denial of Service vulnerability in the Catalina package under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption.
Which Apache Tomcat versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 4.1.0 across affected packages: org.apache.tomcat:tomcat.
What version fixes CVE-2003-0866?
Upgrading to 4.1.0 (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 4.1.0. Upgrade your dependency to 4.1.0 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2003-0866?
CVE-2003-0866 is classified under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2003-0866?
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-7wj2-48c4-2684",
  "modified" : "2023-09-18T22:40:43Z",
  "published" : "2022-04-29T01:27:08Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2003-0866" ],
  "summary" : "Apache Tomcat Denial of Service vulnerability in the Catalina package",
  "details" : "The Catalina org.apache.catalina.connector.http package in Tomcat 4.0.x up to 4.0.6 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via several requests that do not follow the HTTP protocol, which causes Tomcat to reject later requests.",
  "severity" : [ ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.tomcat:tomcat"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "4.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "4.1.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2003-0866"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/13429"
  }, {
    "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" : "http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=215506"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://secunia.com/advisories/30899"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://secunia.com/advisories/30908"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1-26-239312-1"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://tomcat.apache.org/security-4.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.debian.org/security/2003/dsa-395"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/8824"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2008/1979/references"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-400" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-09-18T22:40:43Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2003-11-17T05:00:00Z"
  }
}