Apache Tomcat up to 11.0.10 Query Parameter /WEB-INF/ path traversal

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability identified as critical has been detected in Apache Tomcat up to 8.4.x/8.5.100/9.0.108/10.1.44/11.0.10. This vulnerability affects unknown code of the file /WEB-INF/ of the component Query Parameter Handler. This manipulation causes path traversal. This vulnerability only affects products that are no longer supported by the maintainer. This vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2025-55752. The attack is possible to be carried out remotely. No exploit exists. You should upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability classified as critical was found in Apache Tomcat up to 8.4.x/8.5.100/9.0.108/10.1.44/11.0.10. Affected by this vulnerability is some unknown functionality of the file /WEB-INF/ of the component Query Parameter Handler. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a path traversal vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-23. The product uses external input to construct a pathname that should be within a restricted directory, but it does not properly neutralize sequences such as ".." that can resolve to a location that is outside of that directory. As an impact it is known to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:

Relative Path Traversal vulnerability in Apache Tomcat. The fix for bug 60013 introduced a regression where the rewritten URL was normalized before it was decoded. This introduced the possibility that, for rewrite rules that rewrite query parameters to the URL, an attacker could manipulate the request URI to bypass security constraints including the protection for /WEB-INF/ and /META-INF/. If PUT requests were also enabled then malicious files could be uploaded leading to remote code execution. PUT requests are normally limited to trusted users and it is considered unlikely that PUT requests would be enabled in conjunction with a rewrite that manipulated the URI. This issue affects Apache Tomcat: from 11.0.0-M1 through 11.0.10, from 10.1.0-M1 through 10.1.44, from 9.0.0.M11 through 9.0.108. The following versions were EOL at the time the CVE was created but are known to be affected: 8.5.6 though 8.5.100. Other, older, EOL versions may also be affected. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 11.0.11 or later, 10.1.45 or later or 9.0.109 or later, which fix the issue.

The advisory is shared at lists.apache.org. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2025-55752 since 08/15/2025. The exploitation appears to be easy. The attack can be launched remotely. The exploitation doesn't need any form of authentication. Technical details are known, but no exploit is available. The price for an exploit might be around USD $0-$5k at the moment (estimation calculated on 02/08/2026). MITRE ATT&CK project uses the attack technique T1006 for this issue.

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 271693 (Apache Tomcat 11.0.0.M1 < 11.0.11 multiple vulnerabilities), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 9.0.109, 10.1.45 or 11.0.11 eliminates this vulnerability.

The vulnerability is also documented in the databases at Tenable (271693), EUVD (EUVD-2025-36224) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-2420). If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.

Affected

• Debian Linux
• Amazon Linux 2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• SUSE Linux
• Red Hat JBoss Web Server
• Oracle Linux
• SUSE openSUSE
• RESF Rocky Linux
• Apache Tomcat
• IBM QRadar SIEM
• IBM Integration Bus
• Open Source Camunda
• Absolute Secure Access

Productinfo

Type

• Application Server Software

Vendor

• Apache

Name

• Tomcat

Version

• 8.0
• 8.1
• 8.2
• 8.3
• 8.4
• 8.5.100
• 9.0.108
• 10.1.0
• 10.1.1
• 10.1.2
• 10.1.3
• 10.1.4
• 10.1.5
• 10.1.6
• 10.1.7
• 10.1.8
• 10.1.9
• 10.1.10
• 10.1.11
• 10.1.12
• 10.1.13
• 10.1.14
• 10.1.15
• 10.1.16
• 10.1.17
• 10.1.18
• 10.1.19
• 10.1.20
• 10.1.21
• 10.1.22
• 10.1.23
• 10.1.24
• 10.1.25
• 10.1.26
• 10.1.27
• 10.1.28
• 10.1.29
• 10.1.30
• 10.1.31
• 10.1.32
• 10.1.33
• 10.1.34
• 10.1.35
• 10.1.36
• 10.1.37
• 10.1.38
• 10.1.39
• 10.1.40
• 10.1.41
• 10.1.42
• 10.1.43
• 10.1.44
• 11.0.0
• 11.0.1
• 11.0.2
• 11.0.3
• 11.0.4
• 11.0.5
• 11.0.6
• 11.0.7
• 11.0.8
• 11.0.9
• 11.0.10

License

• open-source

Support

• end of life

Website

• Vendor: https://www.apache.org/

CPE 2.3info

• 🔒
• 🔒
• 🔒

CPE 2.2info

• 🔒
• 🔒
• 🔒

CVSSv4info

CVSSv3info

CVSSv2info

Exploitinginfo

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Countermeasuresinfo

Timelineinfo

Sourcesinfo

Entryinfo

If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.

Discussion