CVE-2016-8735
CRITICAL
Actively Exploited
Apache Tomcat Improper Access Control vulnerability
Published May 13, 2022Updated October 22, 2025Source: osv
What Should I Do?
Patch Immediately
This vulnerability is confirmed under active exploitation (CISA KEV). Patch within 24-48 hours if possible.
Summary
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.
Remediation
Upgrade to the fixed version using your package manager.
Maven
Update org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina-jmx-remote to 7.0.73 or later<!-- Update pom.xml dependency version to 7.0.73 for org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina-jmx-remote -->
Maven
Update org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina-jmx-remote to 8.0.39 or later<!-- Update pom.xml dependency version to 8.0.39 for org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina-jmx-remote -->
Maven
Update org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina to 7.0.73 or later<!-- Update pom.xml dependency version to 7.0.73 for org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina -->
Maven
Update org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina to 8.0.39 or later<!-- Update pom.xml dependency version to 8.0.39 for org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina -->
Maven
Update org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina to 9.0.0.M12 or later<!-- Update pom.xml dependency version to 9.0.0.M12 for org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina -->
Maven
Update org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina to 8.5.7 or later<!-- Update pom.xml dependency version to 8.5.7 for org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina -->
Maven
Update org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina-jmx-remote to 9.0.0.M12 or later<!-- Update pom.xml dependency version to 9.0.0.M12 for org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina-jmx-remote -->
Maven
Update org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina-jmx-remote to 6.0.48 or later<!-- Update pom.xml dependency version to 6.0.48 for org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina-jmx-remote -->
Maven
Update org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina to 6.0.48 or later<!-- Update pom.xml dependency version to 6.0.48 for org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina -->
Maven
Update org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina-jmx-remote to 8.5.7 or later<!-- Update pom.xml dependency version to 8.5.7 for org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina-jmx-remote -->
After upgrading, run your dependency scanner again to confirm the vulnerability is resolved.
Affected Packages (10)
| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed In |
|---|---|---|---|
| org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina-jmx-remote | maven | 7.0.0, 7.0.11, 7.0.12, 7.0.14 (+45 more) | 7.0.73 |
| org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina-jmx-remote | maven | 8.0.1, 8.0.11, 8.0.12, 8.0.14 (+23 more) | 8.0.39 |
| org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina | maven | 7.0.0, 7.0.11, 7.0.12, 7.0.14 (+45 more) | 7.0.73 |
| org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina | maven | 8.0.1, 8.0.11, 8.0.12, 8.0.14 (+23 more) | 8.0.39 |
| org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina | maven | 9.0.0.M1, 9.0.0.M10, 9.0.0.M11, 9.0.0.M3 (+4 more) | 9.0.0.M12 |
| org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina | maven | 8.5.0, 8.5.2, 8.5.3, 8.5.4 (+2 more) | 8.5.7 |
| org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina-jmx-remote | maven | 9.0.0.M1, 9.0.0.M10, 9.0.0.M11, 9.0.0.M3 (+4 more) | 9.0.0.M12 |
| org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina-jmx-remote | maven | 6.0.36, 6.0.37, 6.0.39, 6.0.41 (+4 more) | 6.0.48 |
| org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina | maven | All versions | 6.0.48 |
| org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina-jmx-remote | maven | 8.5.0, 8.5.2, 8.5.3, 8.5.4 (+2 more) | 8.5.7 |
Vulnerability Classification
Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) identifiers for this vulnerability type.
- CWE-284
CVSS Score Breakdown
What the CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) 9.8 score means for each attack dimension.
Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:H
References
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-8735ADVISORY
- https://github.com/apache/tomcat/commit/0e83ad3e547fc9a75a258799ef581249b40a82a6WEB
- https://github.com/apache/tomcat/commit/292d6ccdc9edbf80859929b0af070b2ea99fa688WEB
- https://github.com/apache/tomcat/commit/7e3a037055cca4a17e90b49399fb1bab4dd7c821WEB
- https://github.com/apache/tomcat80/commit/0f76016a4ec45635e450ada9c84ff7ee0c5f3799WEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/b5e3f51d28cd5d9b1809f56594f2cf63dcd6a90429e16ea9f83bbedc%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/b5e3f51d28cd5d9b1809f56594f2cf63dcd6a90429e16ea9f83bbedc@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/b84ad1258a89de5c9c853c7f2d3ad77e5b8b2930be9e132d5cef6b95%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/b84ad1258a89de5c9c853c7f2d3ad77e5b8b2930be9e132d5cef6b95@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/b8a1bf18155b552dcf9a928ba808cbadad84c236d85eab3033662cfb%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/b8a1bf18155b552dcf9a928ba808cbadad84c236d85eab3033662cfb@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r03c597a64de790ba42c167efacfa23300c3d6c9fe589ab87fe02859c%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r03c597a64de790ba42c167efacfa23300c3d6c9fe589ab87fe02859c@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r587e50b86c1a96ee301f751d50294072d142fd6dc08a8987ae9f3a9b%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r587e50b86c1a96ee301f751d50294072d142fd6dc08a8987ae9f3a9b@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r9136ff5b13e4f1941360b5a309efee2c114a14855578c3a2cbe5d19c%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r9136ff5b13e4f1941360b5a309efee2c114a14855578c3a2cbe5d19c@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20180607-0001WEB
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4557-1WEB
- https://web.archive.org/web/20170423095340/http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94463WEB
- https://web.archive.org/web/20170928203901/http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037331WEB
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-8735WEB
- https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpuapr2019-5072813.htmlWEB
- https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpujul2019-5072835.htmlWEB
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0455WEB
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0456WEB
- https://github.com/apache/tomcatPACKAGE
- https://github.com/search?q=repo%3Aapache%2Ftomcat+catalina.mbeans+path%3A%2F%5Eres%5C%2Fbnd%5C%2F%2F&type=codeWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/343558d982879bf88ec20dbf707f8c11255f8e219e81d45c4f8d0551%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/343558d982879bf88ec20dbf707f8c11255f8e219e81d45c4f8d0551@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/37220405a377c0182d2afdbc36461c4783b2930fbeae3a17f1333113%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/37220405a377c0182d2afdbc36461c4783b2930fbeae3a17f1333113@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/388a323769f1dff84c9ec905455aa73fbcb20338e3c7eb131457f708%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/388a323769f1dff84c9ec905455aa73fbcb20338e3c7eb131457f708@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/39ae1f0bd5867c15755a6f959b271ade1aea04ccdc3b2e639dcd903b%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/39ae1f0bd5867c15755a6f959b271ade1aea04ccdc3b2e639dcd903b@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/3d19773b4cf0377db62d1e9328bf9160bf1819f04f988315086931d7%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/3d19773b4cf0377db62d1e9328bf9160bf1819f04f988315086931d7@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/6af47120905aa7d8fe12f42e8ff2284fb338ba141d3b77b8c7cb61b3%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/6af47120905aa7d8fe12f42e8ff2284fb338ba141d3b77b8c7cb61b3@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/845312a10aabbe2c499fca94003881d2c79fc993d85f34c1f5c77424%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/845312a10aabbe2c499fca94003881d2c79fc993d85f34c1f5c77424@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/88855876c33f2f9c532ffb75bfee570ccf0b17ffa77493745af9a17a%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/88855876c33f2f9c532ffb75bfee570ccf0b17ffa77493745af9a17a@%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3EWEB
- https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-0457.htmlWEB
- https://seclists.org/oss-sec/2016/q4/502WEB
- https://svn.apache.org/viewvc?view=revision&revision=1767644WEB
- https://svn.apache.org/viewvc?view=revision&revision=1767656WEB
- https://svn.apache.org/viewvc?view=revision&revision=1767676WEB
- https://svn.apache.org/viewvc?view=revision&revision=1767684WEB
- https://tomcat.apache.org/security-6.htmlWEB
- https://tomcat.apache.org/security-7.htmlWEB
- https://tomcat.apache.org/security-8.htmlWEB
- https://tomcat.apache.org/security-9.htmlWEB
- https://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3738WEB
- https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpujan2018-3236628.htmlWEB
- https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpujul2018-4258247.htmlWEB
- https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpuoct2017-3236626.htmlWEB
- https://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94463WEB
- https://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037331WEB
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2016-8735?
- Apache Tomcat Improper Access Control vulnerability This vulnerability has been assigned a severity rating of CRITICAL (CVSS score: 9.8/10).
- How do I check if my project is affected by CVE-2016-8735?
- CVE-2016-8735 affects org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina-jmx-remote and org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina. This vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, meaning it is being actively exploited in the wild. Use GeekWala's free vulnerability scanner to check your dependencies against CVE-2016-8735 and 200,000+ other known vulnerabilities.
Severity & Exploitability
CVSS Score
9.8
Exploitation is straightforward and causes maximum impact. Patch immediately.
Known Exploited Vulnerability
This vulnerability is in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, indicating active exploitation in the wild.
Remediation deadline: June 2, 2023
Also Known As
GHSA-cw54-59pw-4g8c
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