CVE-2024-52316: Apache Tomcat Authentication Bypass Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-xcpr-7mr4-h4xq
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-391 CWE-754
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2024-52316 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) authentication bypass vulnerability (CWE-391: Unchecked Error Condition) affecting Apache Tomcat libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves apache tomcat - authentication bypass. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 9.0.96, 10.1.30, 11.0.1.

CVE-2024-52316 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2024-52316
GHSA Identifier GHSA-xcpr-7mr4-h4xq
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-391: Unchecked Error Condition
Affected Product Apache Tomcat
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

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:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2024-52316

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-catalina fixed: 9.0.96 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.tomcat</groupId>
    <artifactId>tomcat-catalina</artifactId>
    <version>9.0.96</version>
</dependency>
org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina fixed: 10.1.30 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.tomcat</groupId>
    <artifactId>tomcat-catalina</artifactId>
    <version>10.1.30</version>
</dependency>
org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina fixed: 11.0.1 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.tomcat</groupId>
    <artifactId>tomcat-catalina</artifactId>
    <version>11.0.1</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-2024-52316, 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 9.0.96), 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-391: Unchecked Error Condition, where [planned for deprecation. see maintenance notes and consider cwe-252, cwe-248, or cwe-1069.] ignoring exceptions and other error conditions may allow an attacker to induce unexpected behavior unnoticed. 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

Unchecked Error Condition vulnerability in Apache Tomcat. If Tomcat is configured to use a custom Jakarta Authentication (formerly JASPIC) ServerAuthContext component which may throw an exception during the authentication process without explicitly setting an HTTP status to indicate failure, the authentication may not fail, allowing the user to bypass the authentication process. There are no known Jakarta Authentication components that behave in this way. This issue affects Apache Tomcat: from 11.0.0-M1 through 11.0.0-M26, from 10.1.0-M1 through 10.1.30, from 9.0.0-M1 through 9.0.95. The following versions were EOL at the time the CVE was created but are known to be affected: 8.5.0 though 8.5.100. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 11.0.0, 10.1.31 or 9.0.96, which fix the issue.

CVE-2024-52316 Affected Apache Tomcat Versions

3 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
9.0.9610.1.3011.0.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina
maven/org.apache.tomcat/tomcat-catalina
Maven
< 9.0.96
9.0.96
org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina
maven/org.apache.tomcat/tomcat-catalina
Maven
≥ 10.1.0-M1
< 10.1.30
10.1.30
org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina
maven/org.apache.tomcat/tomcat-catalina
Maven
≥ 11.0.0-M1
< 11.0.1
11.0.1

References

NVD — CVE-2024-52316 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-52316
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/apache/tomcat/commit/6d097a66746635df6880fe7662a792156b0eca14
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/apache/tomcat/commit/7532f9dc4a8c37ec958f79dc82c4924a6c539223
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/apache/tomcat/commit/acc2f01395f895980f5d8a64573fcc1bade13369
Apache Tomcat Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/apache/tomcat
lists.apache.org/thread/lopzlqh91jj9... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread/lopzlqh91jj9n334g02om08sbysdb928
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce... WEB
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/01/msg00009.html
Apache Tomcat Security Information SECURITY
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20250124-0003
Apache Tomcat Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/11/18/2

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-52316?
CVE-2024-52316 is a security vulnerability in Apache Tomcat involving Apache Tomcat - Authentication Bypass under CWE-391: Unchecked Error Condition.
Which Apache Tomcat versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 9.0.96, 10.1.30, 11.0.1 across affected packages: org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina.
What version fixes CVE-2024-52316?
Upgrading to 9.0.96, 10.1.30, 11.0.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is tomcat-catalina affected?
Yes, org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina is affected in releases prior to 9.0.96, 10.1.30, 11.0.1. Upgrade your dependency to 9.0.96, 10.1.30, 11.0.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2024-52316?
CVE-2024-52316 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2024-52316?
CVE-2024-52316 is classified under CWE-391: Unchecked Error Condition ([PLANNED FOR DEPRECATION. SEE MAINTENANCE NOTES AND CONSIDER CWE-252, CWE-248, OR CWE-1069.] Ignoring exceptions and other error conditions may allow an attacker to induce unexpected behavior unnoticed.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2024-52316?
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-xcpr-7mr4-h4xq",
  "modified" : "2025-11-03T21:31:37Z",
  "published" : "2024-11-18T12:30:43Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2024-52316" ],
  "summary" : "Apache Tomcat - Authentication Bypass",
  "details" : "Unchecked Error Condition vulnerability in Apache Tomcat. If Tomcat is configured to use a custom Jakarta Authentication (formerly JASPIC) ServerAuthContext component which may throw an exception during the authentication process without explicitly setting an HTTP status to indicate failure, the authentication may not fail, allowing the user to bypass the authentication process. There are no known Jakarta Authentication components that behave in this way.\n\nThis issue affects Apache Tomcat: from 11.0.0-M1 through 11.0.0-M26, from 10.1.0-M1 through 10.1.30, from 9.0.0-M1 through 9.0.95. The following versions were EOL at the time the CVE was created but are known to be affected: 8.5.0 though 8.5.100.\n\nUsers are recommended to upgrade to version 11.0.0, 10.1.31 or 9.0.96, which fix the issue.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
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    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
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      }, {
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      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "10.1.0-M1"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "10.1.30"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "11.0.0-M1"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "11.0.1"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 11.0.0-M26"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-52316"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/tomcat/commit/6d097a66746635df6880fe7662a792156b0eca14"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/tomcat/commit/7532f9dc4a8c37ec958f79dc82c4924a6c539223"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/tomcat/commit/acc2f01395f895980f5d8a64573fcc1bade13369"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/tomcat"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread/lopzlqh91jj9n334g02om08sbysdb928"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/01/msg00009.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20250124-0003"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/11/18/2"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-391", "CWE-754" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-11-18T23:48:03Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2024-11-18T12:15:18Z"
  }
}