Background exploitation KEV catalog No authentication
CVE-2016-8735

Apache Tomcat Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Remote code execution is possible with Apache Tomcat before 6.0.48, 7.x before 7.0.73, 8.x before 8.0.39, 8.5.x before 8.5.7, and 9.x before 9.0.0.M12 if JmxRemoteLifecycleListener is used and an attacker can reach JMX ports. The issue…

CheckOps priority index
9.0/10 Patch within 24 h
Severity9.8
Probability9.0
Exploitation4/5

Severity = CVSS. Probability = EPSS (FIRST). Exploitation = public signals: KEV, EUVD, ransomware, EPSS above 10 %, no account required.

EPSS · today 90.3% higher than 99.8% of CVEs
CVSS 3.1 9.8 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:
Exploited for 1,271 days 12 May 2023
CISA due date 02 Jun 2023 for US federal agencies

Exploitation probability EPSS · FIRST

05010026 Sep05 Oct15 Oct24 Oct02 Nov
EPSS probability (%)Percentile among all CVEs

Exploitation signals 4 / 5

  • KEV catalog (CISA)12 May 2023
  • Exploited in EUVD (ENISA)12 May 2023
  • Used by ransomwareno
  • EPSS above 10 %90.3%
  • No account, over the networkyes

What to do

Fix

Apply the vendor’s fix as soon as it is available.

CISA guidance: Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Meanwhile

Take the service off the internet or restrict access to it, watch the logs and look for signs of compromise.

Manufacturers (CRA)

Exploited vulnerability in your product: early warning to ENISA within 24 h, then notification within 72 h (Article 14 of the Cyber Resilience Act). The CRA explained

Description ENISA EUVD

Remote code execution is possible with Apache Tomcat before 6.0.48, 7.x before 7.0.73, 8.x before 8.0.39, 8.5.x before 8.5.7, and 9.x before 9.0.0.M12 if JmxRemoteLifecycleListener is used and an attacker can reach JMX ports. The issue exists because this listener wasn't updated for consistency with the CVE-2016-3427 Oracle patch that affected credential types.

Affected products

Apache TomcatTomcat
Affected versions
  • 9.x before 9.0.0.M12
  • 8.5.x before 8.5.7
  • 8.x before 8.0.39
  • 7.x before 7.0.73
  • before 6.0.48
Weaknesses (CWE)

Open source packages OSV

Affected libraries according to OSV, with fixed versions.

Timeline

  1. Published

  2. Exploitation reported (ENISA)

  3. Added to the KEV catalog

  4. CISA remediation due date

  5. EPSS peak: 90.3%

References

Other exploited vulnerabilities from the same vendor

  • CVE-2016-3081Apache Struts Command Injection Vulnerability
    8.5 · Rising fast
  • CVE-2026-34486Apache Tomcat Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data Vulnerability
    8.4 · Actively exploited
  • CVE-2026-34197Apache ActiveMQ Improper Input Validation Vulnerability
    8.3 · Background exploitation
  • CVE-2024-38475Apache HTTP Server Improper Escaping of Output Vulnerability
    9.0 · Background exploitation
  • CVE-2025-24813Apache Tomcat Path Equivalence Vulnerability
    9.4 · Background exploitation
  • CVE-2024-45195Apache OFBiz Forced Browsing Vulnerability
    9.3 · Background exploitation

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Sources: CISA KEV · ENISA EUVD · FIRST EPSS · OSV. Public data aggregated by CheckOps, updated automatically. Source texts remain the property of their authors. All exploited vulnerabilities