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Fencer Vulns
medium 5.3

CVE-2008-5515 json

Directory Traversal in Apache Tomcat

published 2009-06-16 17 y ago modified 2026-06-16 4 mo ago also GHSA-9737-qmgc-hfr9 , EUVD-2022-3308

cvss
5.3
version 3.1, GitHub
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
18.7%
EPSS 18.7% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 97%
public exploits
0
none known

Summary

Apache Tomcat 4.1.0 through 4.1.39, 5.5.0 through 5.5.27, 6.0.0 through 6.0.18, and possibly earlier versions normalizes the target pathname before filtering the query string when using the RequestDispatcher method, which allows remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions and conduct directory traversal attacks via .. (dot dot) sequences and the WEB-INF directory in a Request.

Patch / fix

  • maven org.apache.tomcat:tomcat 4.1.40, 5.5.28, 6.0.20
  • ant certificate system 7.3 1.6.5-1jpp_1rh
  • axis certificate system 7.3 1.2.1-1jpp_3rh
  • mx4j certificate system 7.3 1:3.0.1-1jpp_4rh
  • log4j certificate system 7.3 1.2.12-1jpp_1rh
  • tomcat5 RHEL 2 APPLICATION_SERVER, certificate system 7.3 5.5.23-0jpp_4rh.16
  • rhpki-ca certificate system 7.3 7.3.0-20.el4
  • pcsc-lite certificate system 7.3 1.3.3-3.el4
  • rhpki-kra certificate system 7.3 7.3.0-14.el4

red hat advisories RHSA-2010:0602RHSA-2009:1617RHSA-2009:1616RHSA-2009:1563RHSA-2009:1562RHSA-2009:1506

Vendor advisories

What the vendors themselves say about their products: affected, fixed or not affected, and what to do.

red hat product security vex CVE-2008-5515 updated

tomcat request dispatcher information disclosure vulnerability

  • Red Hat Application Server v2 4AS tomcat5 5.5.23-0jpp_4rh.16, tomcat5-jasper 5.5.23-0jpp_4rh.16, tomcat5-webapps 5.5.23-0jpp_4rh.16, tomcat5-common-lib 5.5.23-0jpp_4rh.16, tomcat5-server-lib 5.5.23-0jpp_4rh.16, tomcat5-jsp-2.0-api 5.5.23-0jpp_4rh.16, +5 more Red Hat Application Server v2 4ES tomcat5 5.5.23-0jpp_4rh.16, tomcat5-jasper 5.5.23-0jpp_4rh.16, tomcat5-webapps 5.5.23-0jpp_4rh.16, tomcat5-common-lib 5.5.23-0jpp_4rh.16, tomcat5-server-lib 5.5.23-0jpp_4rh.16, tomcat5-jsp-2.0-api 5.5.23-0jpp_4rh.16, +5 more Red Hat Application Server v2 4WS tomcat5 5.5.23-0jpp_4rh.16, tomcat5-jasper 5.5.23-0jpp_4rh.16, tomcat5-webapps 5.5.23-0jpp_4rh.16, tomcat5-common-lib 5.5.23-0jpp_4rh.16, tomcat5-server-lib 5.5.23-0jpp_4rh.16, tomcat5-jsp-2.0-api 5.5.23-0jpp_4rh.16, +5 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2009:1562
  • Red Hat Certificate System 7.3 for 4AS ant 1.6.5-1jpp_1rh, axis 1.2.1-1jpp_3rh, mx4j 3.0.1-1jpp_4rh, log4j 1.2.12-1jpp_1rh, pcsc-lite 1.3.3-3.el4, rhpki-ca 7.3.0-20.el4, +31 more Red Hat Certificate System 7.3 for 4ES ant 1.6.5-1jpp_1rh, axis 1.2.1-1jpp_3rh, mx4j 3.0.1-1jpp_4rh, log4j 1.2.12-1jpp_1rh, pcsc-lite 1.3.3-3.el4, rhpki-ca 7.3.0-20.el4, +31 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2010:0602
  • Red Hat Developer Suite v.3 (AS v.4) tomcat5 5.5.23-0jpp_18rh, tomcat5-jasper 5.5.23-0jpp_18rh, tomcat5-common-lib 5.5.23-0jpp_18rh, tomcat5-server-lib 5.5.23-0jpp_18rh, tomcat5-jsp-2.0-api 5.5.23-0jpp_18rh, tomcat5-servlet-2.4-api 5.5.23-0jpp_18rh
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2009:1563
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux (v. 5 server) tomcat5 5.5.23-0jpp.7.el5_3.2, tomcat5-jasper 5.5.23-0jpp.7.el5_3.2, tomcat5-webapps 5.5.23-0jpp.7.el5_3.2, tomcat5-common-lib 5.5.23-0jpp.7.el5_3.2, tomcat5-server-lib 5.5.23-0jpp.7.el5_3.2, tomcat5-jsp-2.0-api 5.5.23-0jpp.7.el5_3.2, +5 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop (v. 5 client) tomcat5 5.5.23-0jpp.7.el5_3.2, tomcat5-jasper 5.5.23-0jpp.7.el5_3.2, tomcat5-webapps 5.5.23-0jpp.7.el5_3.2, tomcat5-common-lib 5.5.23-0jpp.7.el5_3.2, tomcat5-server-lib 5.5.23-0jpp.7.el5_3.2, tomcat5-jsp-2.0-api 5.5.23-0jpp.7.el5_3.2, +5 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop Workstation (v. 5 client) tomcat5 5.5.23-0jpp.7.el5_3.2, tomcat5-jasper 5.5.23-0jpp.7.el5_3.2, tomcat5-webapps 5.5.23-0jpp.7.el5_3.2, tomcat5-common-lib 5.5.23-0jpp.7.el5_3.2, tomcat5-server-lib 5.5.23-0jpp.7.el5_3.2, tomcat5-jsp-2.0-api 5.5.23-0jpp.7.el5_3.2, +5 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2009:1164
  • Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 4.2.0 for RHEL 4 AS jgroups 2.4.6-1.ep1.el4, jboss-seam 1.2.1-1.ep1.19.el4, jboss-remoting 2.2.3-2.ep1.el4, xerces-j2 2.7.1-9jpp.ep1.2.el4, jbossas 4.2.0-4.GA_CP07.5.ep1.el4, jboss-cache 1.4.1-6.SP13.1.ep1.el4, +17 more Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 4.2.0 for RHEL 4 ES jgroups 2.4.6-1.ep1.el4, jboss-seam 1.2.1-1.ep1.19.el4, jboss-remoting 2.2.3-2.ep1.el4, xerces-j2 2.7.1-9jpp.ep1.2.el4, jbossas 4.2.0-4.GA_CP07.5.ep1.el4, jboss-cache 1.4.1-6.SP13.1.ep1.el4, +17 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2009:1144
  • Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 4.2.0 for RHEL 5 Server jgroups 2.4.6-1.ep1.el5, jboss-seam 1.2.1-1.ep1.13.el5, jboss-remoting 2.2.3-2.ep1.el5, jboss-cache 1.4.1-6.SP13.1.ep1.el5, jbossas 4.2.0-4.GA_CP07.5.1.ep1.el5, jbossweb 2.0.0-6.CP11.0jpp.ep1.1.el5, +15 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2009:1143
  • Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 4.3.0 for RHEL 4 AS jgroups 2.4.6-1.ep1.el4, jboss-remoting 2.2.3-2.ep1.el4, xerces-j2 2.7.1-9jpp.ep1.2.el4, glassfish-jaxb 2.1.4-1.11.ep1.el4, jbossas 4.3.0-4.GA_CP05.6.ep1.el4, jboss-cache 1.4.1-6.SP13.1.ep1.el4, +25 more Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 4.3.0 for RHEL 4 ES jgroups 2.4.6-1.ep1.el4, jboss-remoting 2.2.3-2.ep1.el4, xerces-j2 2.7.1-9jpp.ep1.2.el4, glassfish-jaxb 2.1.4-1.11.ep1.el4, jbossas 4.3.0-4.GA_CP05.6.ep1.el4, jboss-cache 1.4.1-6.SP13.1.ep1.el4, +25 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2009:1146
  • Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 4.3.0 for RHEL 5 Server jgroups 2.4.6-1.ep1.el5, jboss-remoting 2.2.3-2.ep1.el5, jboss-cache 1.4.1-6.SP13.1.ep1.el5, glassfish-jaxb 2.1.4-1.11.1.ep1.el5, jbossas 4.3.0-4.GA_CP05.6.1.ep1.el5, jbossweb 2.0.0-6.CP11.0jpp.ep1.1.el5, +23 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2009:1145
show 3 more
  • Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Web Server 1 for RHEL 5 Server tomcat6 6.0.18-12.0.ep5.el5, tomcat5 5.5.23-0jpp.9.6.ep5.el5, tomcat6-lib 6.0.18-12.0.ep5.el5, tomcat6-log4j 6.0.18-12.0.ep5.el5, tomcat6-javadoc 6.0.18-12.0.ep5.el5, tomcat6-webapps 6.0.18-12.0.ep5.el5, +15 more Red Hat JBoss Web Server 1.0 for RHEL 4 AS tomcat6 6.0.18-11.3.ep5.el4, tomcat6-lib 6.0.18-11.3.ep5.el4, tomcat6-log4j 6.0.18-11.3.ep5.el4, tomcat5 5.5.23-1.patch07.19.ep5.el4, tomcat6-javadoc 6.0.18-11.3.ep5.el4, tomcat6-webapps 6.0.18-11.3.ep5.el4, +15 more Red Hat JBoss Web Server 1.0 for RHEL 4 ES tomcat6 6.0.18-11.3.ep5.el4, tomcat6-lib 6.0.18-11.3.ep5.el4, tomcat6-log4j 6.0.18-11.3.ep5.el4, tomcat5 5.5.23-1.patch07.19.ep5.el4, tomcat6-javadoc 6.0.18-11.3.ep5.el4, tomcat6-webapps 6.0.18-11.3.ep5.el4, +15 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2009:1454
  • Red Hat Satellite 5.1 (RHEL v.4 AS) tomcat5 5.0.30-0jpp_16rh
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2009:1617
  • Red Hat Satellite 5.2 (RHEL v.4 AS) tomcat5 5.5.23-0jpp_18rh, tomcat5-jasper 5.5.23-0jpp_18rh, tomcat5-common-lib 5.5.23-0jpp_18rh, tomcat5-server-lib 5.5.23-0jpp_18rh, tomcat5-jsp-2.0-api 5.5.23-0jpp_18rh, tomcat5-servlet-2.4-api 5.5.23-0jpp_18rh Red Hat Satellite 5.3 (RHEL v.4) tomcat5 5.5.23-0jpp_18rh, tomcat5-jasper 5.5.23-0jpp_18rh, tomcat5-common-lib 5.5.23-0jpp_18rh, tomcat5-server-lib 5.5.23-0jpp_18rh, tomcat5-jsp-2.0-api 5.5.23-0jpp_18rh, tomcat5-servlet-2.4-api 5.5.23-0jpp_18rh
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2009:1616

Red Hat CSAF VEX © Red Hat, Inc., from https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/; changed: reduced to product statuses and remediations. CC BY 4.0 · csaf

Exploit prediction

18.68% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 97% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
NVD 2.0 5.0 AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
GitHub 3.1 5.3 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N

Affected packages

ecosystem package affected fixed in
maven org.apache.tomcat:tomcat
>=4.1.0, <4.1.40
>=5.5.0, <5.5.28
>=6.0.0, <6.0.20
4.1.40
5.5.28
6.0.20

Classification

Weakness
  • CWE-22 Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory

References

Sources

Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.