CVE-2001-0917 in Tomcat
Summary
by MITRE
Jakarta Tomcat 4.0.1 allows remote attackers to reveal physical path information by requesting a long URL with a .JSP extension.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/01/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2001-0917 affects Apache Jakarta Tomcat version 4.0.1 and represents a classic information disclosure flaw that exposes sensitive system details to remote attackers. This vulnerability specifically manifests when the web application server processes requests containing excessively long URLs with the .jsp file extension, allowing malicious actors to extract physical path information from the server. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and error handling mechanisms within the Tomcat servlet container, which fails to properly sanitize or limit the length of requested URLs before processing them through the JSP engine.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the way Tomcat handles long URL requests by not properly validating the length of the requested resource path. When a malicious user submits a URL containing an extremely long string followed by a .jsp extension, the server processes this request through its JSP container without sufficient bounds checking. This processing failure results in the server inadvertently revealing internal file system paths, directory structures, and potentially sensitive configuration details through error messages or response content. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and leverages the server's normal processing flow to expose information that should remain confidential, making it particularly dangerous for attackers seeking to map the target system's file structure.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability significantly increases the attack surface for malicious actors by providing them with crucial information about the server's physical file system layout. The leaked path information can be used to craft more sophisticated attacks, including directory traversal attempts, file inclusion exploits, or targeted attacks against specific system components. Security professionals can reference this vulnerability under CWE-200, which covers information exposure, and it aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083 for discovering system information. The exposure of physical paths can enable attackers to bypass security controls, understand the application architecture, and potentially escalate privileges through subsequent exploitation attempts.
The recommended mitigations for CVE-2001-0917 involve multiple layers of defensive measures to prevent the exploitation of this information disclosure vulnerability. Organizations should immediately upgrade to a patched version of Jakarta Tomcat, as the vulnerability was addressed in subsequent releases through improved input validation and URL length restrictions. Server administrators should implement URL length limits within the web server configuration to prevent excessively long requests from being processed. Additionally, proper error handling should be configured to suppress detailed system information in error responses, ensuring that generic error messages are returned instead of revealing internal path structures. Network-level controls including web application firewalls and intrusion prevention systems can also be deployed to detect and block suspicious URL patterns that exceed normal request lengths, providing an additional defensive layer against exploitation attempts.