CVE-2016-1240
The Tomcat init script in the tomcat7 package before 7.0.56-3+deb8u4 and tomcat8 package before 8.0.14-1+deb8u3 on Debian jessie and the tomcat6 and libtomcat6-java packages before 6.0.35-1ubuntu3.8 on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, the tomcat7 and libtomcat7-java…
Does this matter?
A public exploit is published in Exploit-DB (verified) and the impact is high, while EPSS rates exploitation at 9.8%. Anyone can run this; patch or mitigate before the next change window and check exposed instances for signs of use.
Description
The Tomcat init script in the tomcat7 package before 7.0.56-3+deb8u4 and tomcat8 package before 8.0.14-1+deb8u3 on Debian jessie and the tomcat6 and libtomcat6-java packages before 6.0.35-1ubuntu3.8 on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, the tomcat7 and libtomcat7-java packages before 7.0.52-1ubuntu0.7 on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, and tomcat8 and libtomcat8-java packages before 8.0.32-1ubuntu1.2 on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS allows local users with access to the tomcat account to gain root privileges via a symlink attack on the Catalina log file, as demonstrated by /var/log/tomcat7/catalina.out.
- CVSS 3.0
- 7.8 HIGHCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 9.78% probability · 96th percentile
- Public exploits
- 1 in Exploit-DB · verified · first 3 October 2016
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-20
- Affected
- apache/tomcat
- Source
- security@debian.org
EPSS 9.8% since 26 October 2026; no change recorded yet. The dashed line is the ten per cent mark our analysts treat as “patch before the next change window”. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
Public exploits (1)
Entries in Exploit-DB that cite this CVE. Links go to the Exploit-DB page and to the file in the public repository; nothing is hosted here. A verified tick means the Exploit-DB team confirmed the exploit works against the stated version.
References
- http://legalhackers.com/advisories/Tomcat-DebPkgs-Root-Privilege-Escalation-Exploit-CVE-2016-1240.html
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/170857/Apache-Tomcat-On-Ubuntu-Log-Init-Privilege-Escalation.html
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-0457.html
- http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3669Third Party Advisory
- http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3670Third Party Advisory
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/539519/100/0/threaded
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/93263
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1036845Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3081-1Third Party Advisory
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0455
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0456
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201705-09
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20180731-0002/
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40450/
- http://legalhackers.com/advisories/Tomcat-DebPkgs-Root-Privilege-Escalation-Exploit-CVE-2016-1240.html
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/170857/Apache-Tomcat-On-Ubuntu-Log-Init-Privilege-Escalation.html
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-0457.html
- http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3669Third Party Advisory
- http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3670Third Party Advisory
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/539519/100/0/threaded
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/93263
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1036845Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3081-1Third Party Advisory
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0455
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0456
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201705-09
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20180731-0002/
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40450/
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.