CVE-2011-1088 in Tomcat
Summary
by MITRE
Apache Tomcat 7.x before 7.0.10 does not follow ServletSecurity annotations, which allows remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions via HTTP requests to a web application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/15/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1088 represents a critical security flaw in Apache Tomcat versions prior to 7.0.10 where the server fails to properly enforce ServletSecurity annotations. This issue directly impacts the authentication and authorization mechanisms that web applications rely upon for protecting sensitive resources. The flaw stems from the application server's inability to correctly interpret and apply security constraints defined through annotations within servlet classes, creating a pathway for unauthorized access to protected application components.
This vulnerability operates at the application server level where Tomcat should enforce security policies defined by the Java Servlet specification. The ServletSecurity annotation is designed to specify access constraints for servlet methods, defining which roles can access specific resources and whether SSL is required for certain operations. When Tomcat fails to process these annotations, it essentially ignores the security boundaries that developers have explicitly defined, allowing attackers to bypass intended access controls. The technical root cause lies in the server's security processing pipeline where annotation parsing and enforcement mechanisms are not properly implemented or are completely absent in the affected versions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables remote attackers to gain unauthorized access to web application resources that should be protected by authentication and authorization controls. Attackers can craft HTTP requests that circumvent the security constraints defined by developers, potentially accessing sensitive data, administrative functions, or performing unauthorized operations within the web application. This vulnerability particularly affects applications that depend on annotation-based security controls and can lead to complete compromise of the affected web application. The attack vector is straightforward requiring only HTTP requests to be sent to targeted endpoints, making it easily exploitable in automated attack scenarios.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which addresses improper access control and represents a failure in implementing proper authorization mechanisms. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation through application-level access control bypasses. Organizations running affected Tomcat versions face significant risk of data breaches, unauthorized system access, and potential lateral movement within their networks. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental breakdown in the security model where application-level security controls are rendered ineffective due to server-side implementation flaws.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to Apache Tomcat 7.0.10 or later versions where the ServletSecurity annotation processing has been properly implemented. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments of their web applications to identify other potential access control vulnerabilities and ensure that all security annotations are properly enforced. Additional defensive measures include implementing network-level access controls, monitoring for unauthorized access attempts, and ensuring proper security configuration of web applications. Regular security updates and patch management processes should be prioritized to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future.