Apache Tomcat OS Command Injection vulnerability
When running on Windows with enableCmdLineArguments enabled, the CGI Servlet in Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.17, 8.5.0 to 8.5.39 and 7.0.0 to 7.0.93 is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution due to a bug in the way the JRE passes command line arguments to Windows. The CGI Servlet is disabled by default. The CGI option enableCmdLineArguments is disable by default in Tomcat 9.0.x (and will be disabled by default in all versions in response to this vulnerability). For a detailed explanation of the JRE behaviour, see Markus Wulftange's blog (https://codewhitesec.blogspot.com/2016/02/java-and-command-line-injections-in-windows.html) and this archived MSDN blog (https://web.archive.org/web/20161228144344/https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/twistylittlepassagesallalike/2011/04/23/everyone-quotes-command-line-arguments-the-wrong-way/).
Affected software
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| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Java / Kotlin (Maven) | org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core | >= 9.0.0.M1, < 9.0.17, >= 8.0.0, < 8.5.40, >= 7.0.0, < 7.0.94 | 9.0.17, 8.5.40, 7.0.94 |
References
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-0232
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r3bbb800a816d0a51eccc5a228c58736960a9fffafa581a225834d97d%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r3bbb800a816d0a51eccc5a228c58736960a9fffafa581a225834d97d@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r48c1444845fe15a823e1374674bfc297d5008a5453788099ea14caf0%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r48c1444845fe15a823e1374674bfc297d5008a5453788099ea14caf0@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r6ccee4e849bc77df0840c7f853f6bd09d426f6741247da2b7429d5d9%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r6ccee4e849bc77df0840c7f853f6bd09d426f6741247da2b7429d5d9@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r6d03e45b81eab03580cf7f8bb51cb3e9a1b10a2cc0c6a2d3cc92ed0c%40%3Cannounce.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r6d03e45b81eab03580cf7f8bb51cb3e9a1b10a2cc0c6a2d3cc92ed0c@%3Cannounce.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r9136ff5b13e4f1941360b5a309efee2c114a14855578c3a2cbe5d19c%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r9136ff5b13e4f1941360b5a309efee2c114a14855578c3a2cbe5d19c@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/raba0fabaf4d56d4325ab2aca8814f0b30a237ab83d8106b115ee279a%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/raba0fabaf4d56d4325ab2aca8814f0b30a237ab83d8106b115ee279a@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190419-0001
- https://web.archive.org/web/20161228144344/https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/twistylittlepassagesallalike/2011/04/23/everyone-quotes-command-line-arguments-the-wrong-way
- https://web.archive.org/web/20200227030103/http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/107906
- https://www.broadcom.com/support/fibre-channel-networking/security-advisories/brocade-security-advisory-2019-784
- https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuApr2021.html
- https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2020.html
- https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2020.html
- https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpujul2019-5072835.html
- https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpuoct2019-5072832.html
- https://www.synology.com/security/advisory/Synology_SA_19_17
- https://wwws.nightwatchcybersecurity.com/2019/04/30/remote-code-execution-rce-in-cgi-servlet-apache-tomcat-on-windows-cve-2019-0232
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:1712
- https://blog.trendmicro.com/trendlabs-security-intelligence/uncovering-cve-2019-0232-a-remote-code-execution-vulnerability-in-apache-tomcat
- https://codewhitesec.blogspot.com/2016/02/java-and-command-line-injections-in-windows.html
- https://github.com/apache/tomcat
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/1dd0a59c1295cc08ce4c9e7edae5ad2268acc9ba55adcefa0532e5ba%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/1dd0a59c1295cc08ce4c9e7edae5ad2268acc9ba55adcefa0532e5ba@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/3d19773b4cf0377db62d1e9328bf9160bf1819f04f988315086931d7%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/3d19773b4cf0377db62d1e9328bf9160bf1819f04f988315086931d7@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/52ffb9fbf661245386a83a661183d13f1de2e5779fa23837a08e02ac%40%3Ccommits.ofbiz.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/52ffb9fbf661245386a83a661183d13f1de2e5779fa23837a08e02ac@%3Ccommits.ofbiz.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/5f297a4b9080b5f65a05bc139596d0e437d6a539b25e31d29d028767%40%3Cannounce.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/5f297a4b9080b5f65a05bc139596d0e437d6a539b25e31d29d028767@%3Cannounce.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/673b6148d92cd7bc99ea2dcf85ad75d57da44fc322d51f37fb529a2a%40%3Ccommits.ofbiz.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/673b6148d92cd7bc99ea2dcf85ad75d57da44fc322d51f37fb529a2a@%3Ccommits.ofbiz.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/6af47120905aa7d8fe12f42e8ff2284fb338ba141d3b77b8c7cb61b3%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/6af47120905aa7d8fe12f42e8ff2284fb338ba141d3b77b8c7cb61b3@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-78- Platform
- Java / Kotlin (Maven)
- Package
org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core- Disclosed
- 18.04.2019
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 12:21
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-8vmx-qmch-mpqg - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core
All published vulnerabilities of this package (Java / Kotlin (Maven)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 77
- First → latest
- 10.2018 08.2026
- Without a fix
- 0
- Exploited in attacks
- 5
Severity breakdown
- Critical 11
- High 36
- Medium 25
- Low 5
Disclosures per year
- 2018: 8
- 2019: 5
- 2020: 5
- 2021: 3
- 2022: 7
- 2023: 9
- 2024: 7
- 2025: 15
- 2026: 18
-
Apache Tomcat OS Command Injection vulnerability this entry
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