Description
Directory traversal vulnerability in Apache HTTP Server and Tomcat 5.x before 5.5.22 and 6.x before 6.0.10, when using certain proxy modules (mod_proxy, mod_rewrite, mod_jk), allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a .. (dot dot) sequence with combinations of (1) "/" (slash), (2) "\" (backslash), and (3) URL-encoded backslash (%5C) characters in the URL, which are valid separators in Tomcat but not in Apache.
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 5 | jakarta-commons-modeler +1 | 1.1-8jpp.1.0.2.el5 | RHSA-2007:0327 |
| RHEL 5 | tomcat5 +10 | 5.5.23-0jpp.1.0.3.el5 | RHSA-2007:0327 |
Show 7 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Rhel Developer Suite 3 | jakarta-commons-modeler | 2.0-3jpp_3rh | RHSA-2007:0328 |
| Red Hat Rhel Developer Suite 3 | tomcat5 +5 | 5.5.23-0jpp_6rh | RHSA-2007:0328 |
| Red Hat Rhel Application Stack 1 | jbossas | 4.0.5-2.CP04.el4s1.2 | RHSA-2007:0360 |
| Red Hat Rhel Application Server 2 | jakarta-commons-modeler +1 | 2.0-3jpp_2rh | RHSA-2007:0326 |
| Red Hat Rhel Application Server 2 | tomcat5 +10 | 5.5.23-0jpp_4rh.3 | RHSA-2007:0326 |
| Red Hat Rhel Application Server 1 | tomcat5 +2 | 5.0.30-0jpp_5rh | RHSA-2007:0340 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 5 | jabberd | 2.0s10-3.38.rhn | RHSA-2008:0261 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 5 | jakarta-commons-pool | 1.2-2jpp_2rh | RHSA-2007:1069 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 5 | java-1.4.2-ibm +1 | 1.4.2.10-1jpp.2.el4 | RHSA-2008:0261 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 5 | jfreechart | 0.9.20-3.rhn | RHSA-2008:0261 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 5 | openmotif21 | 2.1.30-11.RHEL4.6 | RHSA-2008:0261 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 5 | perl-Crypt-CBC | 2.24-1.el4 | RHSA-2008:0261 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 5 | rhn-apache | 1.3.27-36.rhn.rhel4 | RHSA-2008:0261 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 5 | rhn-modjk-ap13 | 1.2.23-2rhn.rhel4 | RHSA-2008:0261 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 5 | rhn-modperl | 1.29-16.rhel4 | RHSA-2008:0261 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 5 | rhn-modssl | 2.8.12-8.rhn.10.rhel4 | RHSA-2008:0261 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 5 | tomcat5 | 5.0.30-0jpp_6rh | RHSA-2008:0261, RHSA-2007:1069 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 5 | tyrex | 1.0.1-2jpp_2rh | RHSA-2007:1069 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 4 | jabberd | 2.0s10-3.37.rhn | RHSA-2008:0524 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 4 | jakarta-commons-pool | 1.2-2jpp_2rh | RHSA-2007:1069 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 4 | java-1.4.2-ibm +1 | 1.4.2.10-1jpp.2.el3 | RHSA-2008:0524 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 4 | jfreechart | 0.9.20-3.rhn | RHSA-2008:0524 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 4 | openmotif21 | 2.1.30-9.RHEL3.8 | RHSA-2008:0524 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 4 | perl-Crypt-CBC | 2.24-1.el3 | RHSA-2008:0524 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 4 | rhn-apache | 1.3.27-36.rhn.rhel3 | RHSA-2008:0524 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 4 | rhn-modjk-ap13 | 1.2.23-2rhn.rhel3 | RHSA-2008:0524 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 4 | rhn-modperl | 1.29-16.rhel3 | RHSA-2008:0524 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 4 | rhn-modssl | 2.8.12-8.rhn.10.rhel3 | RHSA-2008:0524 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 4 | tomcat5 | 5.0.30-0jpp_6rh | RHSA-2008:0524, RHSA-2007:1069 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 4 | tyrex | 1.0.1-2jpp_2rh | RHSA-2007:1069 |
| Red Hat Certificate System 7 | ant | 1.6.5-1jpp_1rh | RHSA-2010:0602 |
| Red Hat Certificate System 7 | avalon-logkit | 1.2-2jpp_4rh | RHSA-2010:0602 |
| Red Hat Certificate System 7 | axis | 1.2.1-1jpp_3rh | RHSA-2010:0602 |
| Red Hat Certificate System 7 | classpathx-jaf | 1.0-2jpp_6rh | RHSA-2010:0602 |
| Red Hat Certificate System 7 | classpathx-mail | 1.1.1-2jpp_8rh | RHSA-2010:0602 |
| Red Hat Certificate System 7 | geronimo-specs +10 | 1.0-0.M4.1jpp_10rh | RHSA-2010:0602 |
| Red Hat Certificate System 7 | jakarta-commons-modeler | 2.0-3jpp_2rh | RHSA-2010:0602 |
| Red Hat Certificate System 7 | log4j | 1.2.12-1jpp_1rh | RHSA-2010:0602 |
| Red Hat Certificate System 7 | mx4j | 1:3.0.1-1jpp_4rh | RHSA-2010:0602 |
| Red Hat Certificate System 7 | pcsc-lite +2 | 1.3.3-3.el4 | RHSA-2010:0602 |
| Red Hat Certificate System 7 | rhpki-ca | 7.3.0-20.el4 | RHSA-2010:0602 |
| Red Hat Certificate System 7 | rhpki-java-tools | 7.3.0-10.el4 | RHSA-2010:0602 |
| Red Hat Certificate System 7 | rhpki-kra | 7.3.0-14.el4 | RHSA-2010:0602 |
| Red Hat Certificate System 7 | rhpki-manage | 7.3.0-19.el4 | RHSA-2010:0602 |
| Red Hat Certificate System 7 | rhpki-native-tools | 7.3.0-6.el4 | RHSA-2010:0602 |
| Red Hat Certificate System 7 | rhpki-tks +1 | 7.3.0-13.el4 | RHSA-2010:0602 |
| Red Hat Certificate System 7 | tomcat5 +5 | 5.5.23-0jpp_4rh.16 | RHSA-2010:0602 |
| Red Hat Certificate System 7 | xerces-j2 | 2.7.1-1jpp_1rh | RHSA-2010:0602 |
| Red Hat Certificate System 7 | xml-commons +1 | 1.3.02-2jpp_1rh | RHSA-2010:0602 |
Wolfi
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wolfi rolling | apache2 | 2.4.63-r1 | — |
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
Third-party code, not reviewed by us. Public PoCs are sometimes fake or contain malware. Read the code first and run it only in an isolated lab, against systems you are authorised to test.
Exploit-DB 1
- Apache Tomcat 5.x/6.0.x - Directory Traversal EDB-29739 · remote · Mar 14, 2007 · verified
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Affected packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat | >= 5.0, < 5.5.22 | 5.5.22 | GHSA-4prh-gqw8-rgh5 |
| Maven | org.apache.tomcat:tomcat | >= 6.0, < 6.0.10 | 6.0.10 | GHSA-4prh-gqw8-rgh5 |
Advisories 9
- RHSA-2010:0602 Red Hat Security Advisory: Red Hat Certificate System 7.3 security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 29, 2026
- RHSA-2008:0524 Red Hat Security Advisory: Red Hat Network Satellite Server security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 29, 2026
- RHSA-2008:0261 Red Hat Security Advisory: Red Hat Network Satellite Server security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 29, 2026
- RHSA-2007:0327 Red Hat Security Advisory: tomcat security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 26, 2026
- RHSA-2007:0326 Red Hat Security Advisory: tomcat security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jan 7, 2026
- RHSA-2007:0340 Red Hat Security Advisory: tomcat security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jan 7, 2026
- RHSA-2007:1069 Red Hat Security Advisory: tomcat security update for Red Hat Network Satellite Server Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jan 7, 2026
- RHSA-2007:0360 Red Hat Security Advisory: jbossas security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Nov 22, 2025
- RHSA-2007:0328 Red Hat Security Advisory: tomcat security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Nov 22, 2025
References
- http://tomcat.apache.org/security-4.html
- 30908 third-party-advisory
- [Security-announce] 20080107 VMSA-2008-0002 Low severity security update for VirtualCenter and ESX Server 3.0.2, and ESX 3.0.1 mailing-list
- ADV-2007-2732 vdb-entry
- 239312 vendor-advisory
- ADV-2007-3087 vdb-entry
- tomcat-proxy-directory-traversal(32988) vdb-entry
- 30899 third-party-advisory
- ADV-2008-1979 vdb-entry
- SUSE-SR:2007:005 vendor-advisory
- APPLE-SA-2007-07-31 vendor-advisory
- ADV-2008-0065 vdb-entry
- 20090127 CA20090123-01: Cohesion Tomcat Multiple Vulnerabilities (Updated - v1.1) mailing-list
- 33668 third-party-advisory
- 20080108 VMSA-2008-0002 Low severity security update for VirtualCenter and ESX Server 3.0.2, and ESX 3.0.1 mailing-list
- 20090124 CA20090123-01: Cohesion Tomcat Multiple Vulnerabilities mailing-list
- 25280 third-party-advisory
- RHSA-2007:0360 vendor-advisory
- 24732 third-party-advisory
- ADV-2009-0233 vdb-entry
- 22960 vdb-entry
- 28365 third-party-advisory
- http://support.avaya.com/elmodocs2/security/ASA-2007-206.htm
- http://tomcat.apache.org/security-6.html
- http://www.sec-consult.com/287.html
- ADV-2007-3386 vdb-entry
- http://www.sec-consult.com/fileadmin/Advisories/20070314-0-apache_tomcat_directory_traversal.txt
- RHSA-2007:0327 vendor-advisory
- 27037 third-party-advisory
- http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=306172
- SSRT071447 vendor-advisory
- ADV-2007-0975 vdb-entry
- http://tomcat.apache.org/security-5.html
- 25159 vdb-entry
- 26660 third-party-advisory
- RHSA-2008:0261 vendor-advisory
- http://www.fujitsu.com/global/support/software/security/products-f/interstage-200702e.html
- GLSA-200705-03 vendor-advisory
- 25106 third-party-advisory
- 2446 third-party-advisory
- http://community.ca.com/blogs/casecurityresponseblog/archive/2009/01/23.aspx
- http://support.ca.com/irj/portal/anonymous/phpsupcontent?contentID=197540
- 20070314 SEC Consult SA-20070314-0 :: Apache HTTP Server / Tomcat directory traversal mailing-list
- MDKSA-2007:241 vendor-advisory
- SUSE-SR:2007:015 vendor-advisory
- 26235 third-party-advisory
- oval:org.mitre.oval:def:10643 vdb-entry signature
- [tomcat-dev] 20190319 svn commit: r1855831 [26/30] - in /tomcat/site/trunk: ./ docs/ xdocs/ mailing-list
- [tomcat-dev] 20190319 svn commit: r1855831 [21/30] - in /tomcat/site/trunk: ./ docs/ xdocs/ mailing-list
- [tomcat-dev] 20190325 svn commit: r1856174 [25/29] - in /tomcat/site/trunk: docs/ xdocs/ xdocs/stylesheets/ mailing-list
- [tomcat-dev] 20190325 svn commit: r1856174 [19/29] - in /tomcat/site/trunk: docs/ xdocs/ xdocs/stylesheets/ mailing-list
- [tomcat-dev] 20190413 svn commit: r1857494 [18/20] - in /tomcat/site/trunk: ./ docs/ xdocs/ mailing-list
- [tomcat-dev] 20190415 svn commit: r1857582 [20/22] - in /tomcat/site/trunk: docs/ xdocs/stylesheets/ mailing-list
- [tomcat-dev] 20200203 svn commit: r1873527 [26/30] - /tomcat/site/trunk/docs/ mailing-list
- [tomcat-dev] 20200213 svn commit: r1873980 [24/34] - /tomcat/site/trunk/docs/ mailing-list
- [tomcat-dev] 20200213 svn commit: r1873980 [30/34] - /tomcat/site/trunk/docs/ mailing-list