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In Apache Tomcat, when using FORM authentication there was a narrow window where an attacker could perform a session fixation attack

High severity GitHub Reviewed Published Dec 26, 2019 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Jan 28, 2023

Package

maven org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core (Maven)

Affected versions

< 7.0.99
>= 8.0.0, < 8.5.50
>= 9.0.0, < 9.0.30

Patched versions

7.0.99
8.5.50
9.0.30

Description

When using FORM authentication with Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.29, 8.5.0 to 8.5.49 and 7.0.0 to 7.0.98 there was a narrow window where an attacker could perform a session fixation attack. The window was considered too narrow for an exploit to be practical but, erring on the side of caution, this issue has been treated as a security vulnerability.

References

Published by the National Vulnerability Database Dec 23, 2019
Reviewed Dec 26, 2019
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Dec 26, 2019
Last updated Jan 28, 2023

Severity

High

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
High
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS score

0.327%
(72nd percentile)

Weaknesses

CVE ID

CVE-2019-17563

GHSA ID

GHSA-9xcj-c8cr-8c3c

Source code

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