CVE-2020-1938: Apache Tomcat Improper Privilege Management Vulnerability

Reference page built from the source records below, each shown as its source publishes it. Dataset version ref-c4384548e397, updated 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z.

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

Name
Apache Tomcat Improper Privilege Management Vulnerability
Vendor
Apache
Product
Tomcat
Added to the catalog
2022-03-03
Due date for US federal agencies
2022-03-17
Catalog version
2026.10.30

Apache Tomcat treats Apache JServ Protocol (AJP) connections as having higher trust than, for example, a similar HTTP connection. If such connections are available to an attacker, they can be exploited.

Required action (CISA)

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Ransomware use: CISA does not mark known use of this vulnerability in ransomware campaigns.

Links in CISA's notes

Read on 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z under licence cisa-kev-cc0@b0067899 from https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json

NVD analysis

Status
Analyzed
Published
2020-02-24T22:15:12.057
Last modified
2026-08-25T16:28:27.310
Weaknesses
NVD-CWE-Other

When using the Apache JServ Protocol (AJP), care must be taken when trusting incoming connections to Apache Tomcat. Tomcat treats AJP connections as having higher trust than, for example, a similar HTTP connection. If such connections are available to an attacker, they can be exploited in ways that may be surprising. In Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.0.30, 8.5.0 to 8.5.50 and 7.0.0 to 7.0.99, Tomcat shipped with an AJP Connector enabled by default that listened on all configured IP addresses. It was expected (and recommended in the security guide) that this Connector would be disabled if not required. This vulnerability report identified a mechanism that allowed: - returning arbitrary files from anywhere in the web application - processing any file in the web application as a JSP Further, if the web application allowed file upload and stored those files within the web application (or the attacker was able to control the content of the web application by some other means) then this, along with the ability to process a file as a JSP, made remote code execution possible. It is important to note that mitigation is only required if an AJP port is accessible to untrusted users. Users wishing to take a defence-in-depth approach and block the vector that permits returning arbitrary files and execution as JSP may upgrade to Apache Tomcat 9.0.31, 8.5.51 or 7.0.100 or later. A number of changes were made to the default AJP Connector configuration in 9.0.31 to harden the default configuration. It is likely that users upgrading to 9.0.31, 8.5.51 or 7.0.100 or later will need to make small changes to their configurations.

MetricScoreSeverityVectorScored by
CVSS 3.19.8CRITICALCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H[email protected] (Primary)
CVSS 3.19.8CRITICALCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 (Secondary)
CVSS 2.07.5HIGHAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P[email protected] (Primary)

References

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.

Read on 2026-11-02T23:41:43.468Z under licence nvd-api-terms-of-use@ff2a5288 from https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?cveId=CVE-2020-1938

CVE record

Assigner
apache
State
PUBLISHED
Published
2020-02-24T21:19:18.000Z
Updated
2025-10-21T23:35:50.835Z
Problem types
AJP Request Injection leading to possible Remote Code Execution

When using the Apache JServ Protocol (AJP), care must be taken when trusting incoming connections to Apache Tomcat. Tomcat treats AJP connections as having higher trust than, for example, a similar HTTP connection. If such connections are available to an attacker, they can be exploited in ways that may be surprising. In Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.0.30, 8.5.0 to 8.5.50 and 7.0.0 to 7.0.99, Tomcat shipped with an AJP Connector enabled by default that listened on all configured IP addresses. It was expected (and recommended in the security guide) that this Connector would be disabled if not required. This vulnerability report identified a mechanism that allowed: - returning arbitrary files from anywhere in the web application - processing any file in the web application as a JSP Further, if the web application allowed file upload and stored those files within the web application (or the attacker was able to control the content of the web application by some other means) then this, along with the ability to process a file as a JSP, made remote code execution possible. It is important to note that mitigation is only required if an AJP port is accessible to untrusted users. Users wishing to take a defence-in-depth approach and block the vector that permits returning arbitrary files and execution as JSP may upgrade to Apache Tomcat 9.0.31, 8.5.51 or 7.0.100 or later. A number of changes were made to the default AJP Connector configuration in 9.0.31 to harden the default configuration. It is likely that users upgrading to 9.0.31, 8.5.51 or 7.0.100 or later will need to make small changes to their configurations.

References

Read on 2026-11-03T01:03:56.125Z under licence cve-terms-of-use@81bfa2f3 from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2020/1xxx/CVE-2020-1938.json

Also known as / affected packages

GHSA-c9hw-wf7x-jp9j

Also known as: CVE-2020-1938. OSV.dev record, GitHub advisory.

  • Maven org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core: introduced 9.0.0, fixed 9.0.31
  • Maven org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core: introduced 8.0.0, fixed 8.5.51
  • Maven org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core: introduced 7.0.0, fixed 7.0.100

Read on 2026-11-03T00:50:57.990Z under licence ghsa-cc-by-4.0@9e5f1b3c from https://api.osv.dev/v1/vulns/GHSA-c9hw-wf7x-jp9j

Sources and licences

  • CISA

    Source: CISA Catalog of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, version 2026.10.30, CC0 1.0. Use of this data does not imply endorsement by CISA or DHS.

    CC0 1.0 Universal

  • National Vulnerability Database (NIST)

    This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.

    NVD API Terms of Use (NIST publications in the public domain, 17 U.S.C. 105)

  • CVE Program, The MITRE Corporation

    Copyright © 1999-2026, The MITRE Corporation. CVE is a trademark and the CVE logo is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation. CVE Usage: MITRE hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE™). Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

    CVE Program Terms of Use ("CVE Usage" licence)

  • GitHub Advisory Database via OSV.dev

    GHSA-c9hw-wf7x-jp9j: GitHub Advisory Database, https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-c9hw-wf7x-jp9j. Licensed CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), provided as is, without warranties. Retrieved via OSV.dev (https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-c9hw-wf7x-jp9j), which enriches records; fields selected and reformatted by ransomware-tracker.com.

    CC BY 4.0

Cite this page

Dragons Eye Ransomware Tracker, "CVE-2020-1938: Apache Tomcat Improper Privilege Management Vulnerability",
entity page, dataset version ref-c4384548e397, updated 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/cve/CVE-2020-1938 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: CISA Catalog of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, version 2026.10.30.
Underlying source: National Vulnerability Database (NIST), CVE API 2.0, record last modified 2026-08-25T16:28:27.310.
Underlying source: CVE List (CVE Program, The MITRE Corporation), record updated 2025-10-21T23:35:50.835Z.
Underlying source: GitHub Advisory Database, GHSA-c9hw-wf7x-jp9j, via OSV.dev, modified 2026-08-07T08:12:12.810051088Z.

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