CVE-2024-21733 in Tomcat
Summary
by MITRE • 01/19/2024
Generation of Error Message Containing Sensitive Information vulnerability in Apache Tomcat.This issue affects Apache Tomcat: from 8.5.7 through 8.5.63, from 9.0.0-M11 through 9.0.43. Other, EOL versions may also be affected.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 8.5.64 onwards or 9.0.44 onwards, which contain a fix for the issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/29/2025
The CVE-2024-21733 vulnerability represents a critical information disclosure issue within Apache Tomcat web server implementations that exposes sensitive system data through error message generation. This vulnerability specifically targets the way Tomcat handles error conditions and generates diagnostic output, creating opportunities for attackers to extract confidential information that should remain hidden from end users. The affected versions span across Tomcat 8.5.x series from 8.5.7 through 8.5.63 and the 9.0.x series from 9.0.0-M11 through 9.0.43, indicating a broad impact across multiple major releases. The vulnerability stems from improper error handling mechanisms that inadvertently include system-specific details in error responses, creating a pathway for information leakage that aligns with CWE-209, which addresses "Generation of Error Message Containing Sensitive Information." This flaw represents a fundamental weakness in the application's security posture as it violates the principle of least privilege by exposing internal system details to potentially unauthenticated attackers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when Tomcat encounters certain error conditions during request processing, particularly around authentication failures, resource access violations, or configuration issues. During these error scenarios, the server generates detailed error messages that contain sensitive information such as stack traces, internal file paths, system configurations, or database connection details. These error messages are then transmitted to the client without proper sanitization or filtering mechanisms that would normally obscure such information in production environments. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered through various attack vectors including malformed requests, unauthorized access attempts, or exploitation of other vulnerabilities that cause Tomcat to enter error states. According to ATT&CK framework category T1212, this represents an information gathering technique where adversaries collect information about the system to understand its configuration and identify potential attack surfaces.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-21733 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the leaked information can significantly aid attackers in planning more sophisticated attacks against the affected systems. When attackers obtain detailed error messages containing system paths, internal configurations, or component versions, they gain valuable intelligence that can be used to craft targeted attacks or identify additional vulnerabilities within the application stack. This information leakage creates a reconnaissance advantage for threat actors, potentially enabling them to bypass security controls or exploit other weaknesses in the system. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations running older Tomcat versions where security updates have not been applied, leaving them exposed to automated scanning tools that can systematically identify and exploit such information disclosure flaws. Organizations may face compliance violations under various security standards including PCI DSS, HIPAA, and ISO 27001, as this vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality and integrity of system information. The fix for this vulnerability requires upgrading to Tomcat versions 8.5.64 or later and 9.0.44 or later, which implement proper error handling mechanisms that sanitize error messages before transmission to clients. This upgrade process should be prioritized as part of comprehensive vulnerability management programs, and organizations should conduct thorough testing to ensure that the updated versions maintain application functionality while eliminating the information disclosure risk. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper error handling design in web applications and reinforces the need for security-conscious development practices that prevent sensitive data exposure during error conditions.