TomcatWeb server / proxy · Apache

CVE-2012-5885

MEDIUM · 5.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-11-17

Mitigation only

No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.

See remediation →

59/100

Remediation priority · Elevated

Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description

NVD · unedited

The replay-countermeasure functionality in the HTTP Digest Access Authentication implementation in Apache Tomcat 5.5.x before 5.5.36, 6.x before 6.0.36, and 7.x before 7.0.30 tracks cnonce (aka client nonce) values instead of nonce (aka server nonce) and nc (aka nonce-count) values, which makes it easier for remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions by sniffing the network for valid requests, a different vulnerability than CVE-2011-1184.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The HTTP Digest Access Authentication replay countermeasure in Apache Tomcat tracks client nonce (cnonce) values instead of server nonce (nonce) and nonce-count (nc), allowing attackers to capture valid authenticated requests and replay them to bypass authentication.

MitigationUpgrade Apache Tomcat to version 5.5.36, 6.0.36, 7.0.30 or later to obtain the corrected replay-countermeasure implementation that properly tracks nonce and nc values.

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

Affected products & versions

NVD · CPE data

TomcatWeb server / proxy

Affected:= 5.5.0= 5.5.1= 5.5.2= 5.5.3= 5.5.4= 5.5.5= 5.5.6= 5.5.7= 5.5.8= 5.5.9= 5.5.10= 5.5.11

CVSS breakdown

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?

dbcve checks

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

Identify Apache Tomcat version

Locate the Tomcat installation directory (check CATALINA_HOME environment variable or common paths like /opt/tomcat, /usr/share/tomcat, C:\Tomcat). Within the installation, find the version by examining the RELEASE-NOTES file in the docs folder, or run the version.sh/version.bat script in the bin directory, or check the catalina.jar manifest.

Affected if The installed version is any of: 5.5.0, 5.5.1, 5.5.2, 5.5.3, 5.5.4, 5.5.5, 5.5.6, 5.5.7, 5.5.8, 5.5.9, 5.5.10, or 5.5.11.
Verify HTTP Digest Authentication is configured

Examine the conf/server.xml file in the Tomcat installation. Look for a <Realm> element with the digest attribute set, or for web.xml files containing <auth-method>DIGEST</auth-method> in the <login-config> section.

Affected if HTTP Digest Access Authentication is enabled (either through Realm digest configuration or web.xml login-config) AND the Tomcat version falls within the affected 5.5.x range.
Confirm nonce tracking implementation in use

Review application web.xml deployment descriptors for any web resources protected by the digest authentication method. Check whether the protected resources accept and process Digest authentication challenges.

Affected if The vulnerable Tomcat version is running and serving applications that rely on Digest authentication for protected resources, making replay attacks possible.

You are affected if Apache Tomcat version 5.5.0 through 5.5.11 is installed and HTTP Digest Access Authentication is configured for protecting resources.

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

Remediation

From vendor data

Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime

Mitigation

Upgrade Apache Tomcat to version 5.5.36, 6.0.36, 7.0.30 or later to obtain the corrected replay-countermeasure implementation that properly tracks nonce and nc values.

Fix this in Tomcat Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation3.0 h
Implementation6.0 h
Testing8.0 h
Review / QA3.0 h

20.0 hours of engineering $3,420

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Scan for this in your stack

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References

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2012-5885 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2012-5885?

The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.

The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
A config change or rule that shut the vector down
A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon

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

At a glance

A fix existsA vendor remedy is published

Severity 5.0 Medium

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 9.0%

Affects: Tomcat

Remediation

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Check your environment

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.

Scan for this in your stack

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

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Am I affected?

Remediation

References