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HTTP ServerWeb server / proxy · Apache

CVE-2007-0450

MEDIUM · 5.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2007-03-16
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.5.22 / 6.0.10 or later.
See remediation →
59/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
High EPSS Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Directory traversal vulnerability in Apache HTTP Server and Tomcat 5.x before 5.5.22 and 6.x before 6.0.10, when using certain proxy modules (mod_proxy, mod_rewrite, mod_jk), allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a .. (dot dot) sequence with combinations of (1) "/" (slash), (2) "\" (backslash), and (3) URL-encoded backslash (%5C) characters in the URL, which are valid separators in Tomcat but not in Apache.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Directory traversal vulnerability allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via '..' sequences using combinations of /, \, and %5C (URL-encoded backslash) when Apache acts as a reverse proxy to Tomcat. The mismatch in path separator interpretation between Apache and Tomcat enables attackers to bypass Apache's path validation and access files on the Tomcat server.

MitigationUpgrade to Apache Tomcat 5.5.22+ or 6.0.10+ and ensure Apache is also updated. Additionally, implement strict input validation on the proxy configuration to reject paths containing backslash variants.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
HTTP ServerWeb server / proxy
Affected:all versions
TomcatWeb server / proxy
Affected:>= 5.0.0, < 5.5.22>= 6.0.0, < 6.0.10

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Partial
Integrity
None
Availability
None

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm Apache is configured as a reverse proxy to Tomcat
    Review Apache configuration files (httpd.conf, include files) for ProxyPass and ProxyPassReverse directives pointing to a Tomcat backend, or check for mod_jk/mod_proxy_ajp configuration.
    Affected if Apache is NOT configured as a reverse proxy to Tomcat - this is a required condition for the vulnerability to be exploitable.
  2. Determine the installed Tomcat version
    Check the Tomcat version by inspecting the server info: look for RELEASE-NOTES, VERSION, or bootstrap jar files in the Tomcat installation directory, or query the server via HTTP headers if accessible.
    Affected if Tomcat version is 5.0.0 through 5.5.21, or 6.0.0 through 6.0.9.
  3. Examine the proxy configuration for path handling
    Review Apache proxy directives (ProxyPass, ProxyPassMatch, RewriteRule with [P] flag) that forward requests to Tomcat. Look for any rules that pass the request URI without strict validation of backslash variants (%5C) or double-dot sequences.
    Affected if Proxy configuration passes the raw request path to Tomcat without filtering backslash (%5C) or mixed separator combinations.
  4. Verify if input validation exists for path traversal
    Check Apache configuration for RewriteCond or other validation rules that explicitly reject paths containing .., \, or %5C before forwarding to Tomcat.
    Affected if No input validation rules are present to reject backslash variants in the proxied path.

You are affected if Apache is acting as a reverse proxy to Tomcat AND the Tomcat version falls within 5.0.0-5.5.21 or 6.0.0-6.0.9 AND the proxy configuration lacks input validation to block backslash (%5C) characters in the request path.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 5.5.22 / 6.0.10 or later
Fixed in 5.5.226.0.10
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to Apache Tomcat 5.5.22+ or 6.0.10+ and ensure Apache is also updated. Additionally, implement strict input validation on the proxy configuration to reject paths containing backslash variants.

Fix this in HTTP Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
Get the upgrade done

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2007-0450 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data