dbcve.org
TomcatWeb server / proxy · Apache

CVE-2025-46701

HIGH · 7.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-05-29
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 9.0.105 / 10.1.41 or later.
See remediation →
82/100
Remediation priority · High
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
Improper Handling of Case Sensitivity vulnerability in Apache Tomcat's GCI servlet allows security constraint bypass of security constraints that apply to the pathInfo component of a URI mapped to the CGI servlet. This issue affects Apache Tomcat: from 11.0.0-M1 through 11.0.6, from 10.1.0-M1 through 10.1.40, from 9.0.0.M1 through 9.0.104. The following versions were EOL at the time the CVE was created but are known to be affected: 8.5.0 though 8.5.100. Other, older, EOL versions may also be affected. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 11.0.7, 10.1.41 or 9.0.105, which fixes the issue.

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

Apache Tomcat's CGI servlet fails to properly handle case sensitivity when processing the pathInfo component of URIs, allowing attackers to bypass security constraints that rely on path matching. By manipulating URL case (e.g., /cgi-bin/script versus /CGI-BIN/SCRIPT), an attacker can access resources that should be protected by security constraints defined for specific paths.

MitigationUpgrade Apache Tomcat to version 11.0.7, 10.1.41, or 9.0.105. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, disable the CGI servlet if not required, or implement additional case-normalizing controls at a reverse proxy or application layer.

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
TomcatWeb server / proxy
Affected:>= 9.0.0, < 9.0.105>= 10.1.0, < 10.1.41>= 11.0.0, < 11.0.7

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
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
Low

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

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. Identify installed Tomcat version
    Check the version.properties or RELEASE-NOTES file in the Tomcat installation directory, or look at the Server header in HTTP responses from the server
    Affected if The version falls within 9.0.0-9.0.104, 10.1.0-10.1.40, or 11.0.0-11.0.6
  2. Locate CGI servlet configuration
    Search for the CGI servlet definition in conf/web.xml or in application WEB-INF/web.xml files, or look for the servlet class org.apache.catalina.servlets.CGIServlet
    Affected if The CGI servlet is defined and enabled in any web.xml configuration file
  3. Confirm CGI servlet is mapped to a URL pattern
    In the same web.xml where CGI servlet is defined, check for a <servlet-mapping> element that maps it to a URL pattern such as /cgi-bin/* or similar
    Affected if The CGI servlet has a URL mapping configured (e.g., <url-pattern>/cgi-bin/*</url-pattern>)
  4. Check for path-based security constraints
    Review conf/web.xml or application WEB-INF/web.xml files for <security-constraint> elements that define <web-resource-collection> with path matching (e.g., <url-pattern>/cgi-bin/*</url-pattern>)
    Affected if Security constraints are defined using case-sensitive path patterns that overlap with CGI servlet mappings

You are affected if your Tomcat version is in the vulnerable range (9.0.0-9.0.104, 10.1.0-10.1.40, or 11.0.0-11.0.6) AND the CGI servlet is enabled and mapped to a URL pattern that overlaps with path-based security constraints.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 9.0.105 / 10.1.41 / 11.0.7 or later
Fixed in 9.0.10510.1.4111.0.7
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Apache Tomcat to version 11.0.7, 10.1.41, or 9.0.105. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, disable the CGI servlet if not required, or implement additional case-normalizing controls at a reverse proxy or application layer.

Recommended fix High confidence

9.0.105, 10.1.41, or 11.0.7 depending on your current major version

  1. Download Apache Tomcat version 9.0.105 (for 9.x users), 10.1.41 (for 10.1.x users), or 11.0.7 (for 11.x users) from the official Apache Tomcat download page
  2. Stop the currently running Tomcat instance
  3. Back up your existing Tomcat installation directory, including all configuration files and deployed applications
  4. Extract the new Tomcat version to the same location as the old installation, or a new location if preferred
  5. Copy the conf directory from your backup to the new installation to preserve custom configurations
  6. Ensure the CGI servlet is still properly configured in conf/web.xml if you use CGI functionality
  7. Start the Tomcat service
  8. Verify that the CGI servlet security constraints are enforced correctly by testing the pathInfo case sensitivity
Caveat Minor version upgrades typically have no breaking changes; review the Tomcat release notes for any exceptions

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Tomcat Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,720
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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-2025-46701 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