CVE-2011-1419 in Tomcat
Summary
by MITRE
Apache Tomcat 7.x before 7.0.11, when web.xml has no security constraints, does not follow ServletSecurity annotations, which allows remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions via HTTP requests to a web application. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2011-1088.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/19/2021
Apache Tomcat vulnerability CVE-2011-1419 represents a critical access control flaw that undermines the security of web applications deployed on the platform. This vulnerability specifically affects Apache Tomcat versions 7.x prior to 7.0.11 and stems from an incomplete remediation of a previous security issue identified as CVE-2011-1088. The flaw manifests when web applications lack explicit security constraints in their web.xml configuration files, creating a scenario where ServletSecurity annotations are effectively ignored by the server runtime. This behavioral inconsistency creates a significant security gap that malicious actors can exploit to bypass intended access controls.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of security annotations within the Tomcat servlet container. When a web application defines security constraints through ServletSecurity annotations but fails to declare corresponding security elements in the web.xml file, the server should enforce these annotations to maintain consistent access control policies. However, Tomcat 7.x versions before 7.0.11 fail to properly process these annotations, allowing unauthorized access to protected resources. This issue specifically impacts the servlet security model implementation where the container's security enforcement mechanism becomes inconsistent between XML-based and annotation-based security declarations. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential stuffing, as it enables unauthorized access to protected application resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of web applications running on affected Tomcat instances. Attackers can leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized access to sensitive application functionality, potentially leading to data breaches, privilege escalation, and unauthorized system manipulation. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited without requiring special privileges or complex attack vectors, making it accessible to a broad range of threat actors. Remote exploitation is possible through standard HTTP requests, which means that attackers can target vulnerable applications from external networks without requiring physical access to the server infrastructure.
Organizations affected by CVE-2011-1419 should prioritize immediate remediation through patching to Tomcat 7.0.11 or later versions that contain the complete fix for this vulnerability. Additionally, security teams should implement network-level controls and monitoring to detect anomalous access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of thorough testing during security patch implementation, as the incomplete fix for CVE-2011-1088 created a new attack surface that was not properly addressed. Security professionals should also consider implementing additional access control measures and conducting comprehensive security assessments of web applications to identify similar configuration issues that might exist in other components of their infrastructure. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and the potential risks associated with partial security fixes that may inadvertently create new vulnerabilities.