Description
The SingleSignOn Valve (org.apache.catalina.authenticator.SingleSignOn) in Apache Tomcat before 5.5.21 does not set the secure flag for the JSESSIONIDSSO cookie in an https session, which can cause the cookie to be sent in http requests and make it easier for remote attackers to capture this cookie.
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.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 4.0 | tomcat5.5 | 5.5.20-2etch2 | DSA-1468-1 |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Network Satellite 5 | jabberd | 2.0s10-3.38.rhn | RHSA-2008:0261 |
| 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-2008:0630, RHSA-2008:0261 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 5 | mod_perl | 2.0.2-12.el4 | RHSA-2008:0630 |
| 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-2008:0630, 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-html | 5.1.1-7 | RHSA-2008:0630 |
| 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_10rh | RHSA-2008:0630, RHSA-2008:0261 |
| Red Hat Network Satellite 4 | jabberd | 2.0s10-3.37.rhn | RHSA-2008:0524 |
| 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_10rh | RHSA-2008:0524 |
| 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 |
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.
GitHub 1 repository
-
ngyanch/4062-1 ★ 0 · Nov 20, 2018
CVE-2008-0128
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Advisories 5
- 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
- DSA-1468-1 tomcat5.5 Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- RHSA-2008:0630 Red Hat Security Advisory: Red Hat Network Satellite Server security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Nov 22, 2025
References
- RHSA-2008:0630 vendor-advisory
- 27365 vdb-entry
- http://security-tracker.debian.net/tracker/CVE-2008-0128
- 31493 third-party-advisory
- 29242 third-party-advisory
- 20090127 CA20090123-01: Cohesion Tomcat Multiple Vulnerabilities (Updated - v1.1) mailing-list
- SUSE-SR:2008:005 vendor-advisory
- http://issues.apache.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=41217
- 33668 third-party-advisory
- 20090124 CA20090123-01: Cohesion Tomcat Multiple Vulnerabilities mailing-list
- 28549 third-party-advisory
- apache-singlesignon-information-disclosure(39804) vdb-entry
- ADV-2008-0192 vdb-entry
- ADV-2009-0233 vdb-entry
- DSA-1468 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2008:0261 vendor-advisory
- 28552 third-party-advisory
- http://community.ca.com/blogs/casecurityresponseblog/archive/2009/01/23.aspx
- http://support.ca.com/irj/portal/anonymous/phpsupcontent?contentID=197540
- [tomcat-dev] 20190319 svn commit: r1855831 [21/30] - in /tomcat/site/trunk: ./ docs/ xdocs/ mailing-list
- [tomcat-dev] 20190325 svn commit: r1856174 [19/29] - in /tomcat/site/trunk: docs/ xdocs/ xdocs/stylesheets/ mailing-list
- [tomcat-dev] 20200213 svn commit: r1873980 [24/34] - /tomcat/site/trunk/docs/ mailing-list