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Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type Apache Tomcat

High severity GitHub Reviewed Published May 14, 2022 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Oct 22, 2025

Package

maven org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core (Maven)

Affected versions

>= 9.0.0.M1, <= 9.0.0M27
>= 8.5.0, <= 8.5.22
>= 8.0.0-RC1, <= 8.0.46
>= 7.0.0, <= 7.0.81

Patched versions

9.0.1
8.5.23
8.0.47
7.0.82
maven org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina (Maven)
>= 9.0.0.M1, <= 9.0.0M27
>= 8.5.0, <= 8.5.22
>= 8.0.0-RC1, <= 8.0.46
>= 7.0.0, <= 7.0.81
9.0.1
8.5.23
8.0.47
7.0.82

Description

When running Apache Tomcat versions 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.0, 8.5.0 to 8.5.22, 8.0.0.RC1 to 8.0.46 and 7.0.0 to 7.0.81 with HTTP PUTs enabled (e.g. via setting the readonly initialisation parameter of the Default servlet to false) it was possible to upload a JSP file to the server via a specially crafted request. This JSP could then be requested and any code it contained would be executed by the server.

References

Published by the National Vulnerability Database Oct 4, 2017
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database May 14, 2022
Reviewed Jul 1, 2022
Last updated Oct 22, 2025

Severity

High

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
High
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:H

EPSS score

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

This score estimates the probability of this vulnerability being exploited within the next 30 days. Data provided by FIRST.
(100th percentile)

Weaknesses

Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type

The product allows the attacker to upload or transfer files of dangerous types that can be automatically processed within the product's environment. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

CVE-2017-12617

GHSA ID

GHSA-xjgh-84hx-56c5

Source code

Credits

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