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Vulnerability record · CVE-2016-6794 · published 10 August 2017

CVE-2016-6794: Apache tomcat vulnerability

Apache · Tomcat

When a SecurityManager is configured, a web application's ability to read system properties should be controlled by the SecurityManager. In Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.0.M9, 8.5.0 to 8.5.4, 8.0.0.RC1 to 8.0.36, 7.0.0 to 7.0.70, 6.0.0 to 6.0.45 the system property replacement feature for configuration files could be used by a malicious web application to bypass the SecurityManager and read system properties that should not be visible.

5.3 CVSS 3.1 Medium EPSS 7.2% · top 5.9%
5.3CVSS 3.1 base score, v2 5.0
7.2%EPSS exploitation probability, 30 days
NoNot in CISA KEV
14Affected product versions listed by NVD
50References
17 Jun 2026Last modified by NVD

Description

When a SecurityManager is configured, a web application's ability to read system properties should be controlled by the SecurityManager. In Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.0.M9, 8.5.0 to 8.5.4, 8.0.0.RC1 to 8.0.36, 7.0.0 to 7.0.70, 6.0.0 to 6.0.45 the system property replacement feature for configuration files could be used by a malicious web application to bypass the SecurityManager and read system properties that should not be visible.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N

Affected products

14 vulnerable configurations from NVD's CPE data, grouped by vendor and product.

References

LinkTags
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-0457.html Third Party Advisory
http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3720 Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/93943 Broken Link
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037143 Broken Link
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0455 Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0456 Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:2247 Third Party Advisory
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/09d2f2c65ac4ff5da42f15dc2b0f78b655e50f1a42e8a9784134a9eb%40%3Cannounce.tomcat.apach
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/343558d982879bf88ec20dbf707f8c11255f8e219e81d45c4f8d0551%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/37220405a377c0182d2afdbc36461c4783b2930fbeae3a17f1333113%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/388a323769f1dff84c9ec905455aa73fbcb20338e3c7eb131457f708%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/39ae1f0bd5867c15755a6f959b271ade1aea04ccdc3b2e639dcd903b%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/3d19773b4cf0377db62d1e9328bf9160bf1819f04f988315086931d7%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/6af47120905aa7d8fe12f42e8ff2284fb338ba141d3b77b8c7cb61b3%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/845312a10aabbe2c499fca94003881d2c79fc993d85f34c1f5c77424%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/88855876c33f2f9c532ffb75bfee570ccf0b17ffa77493745af9a17a%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/b5e3f51d28cd5d9b1809f56594f2cf63dcd6a90429e16ea9f83bbedc%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/b84ad1258a89de5c9c853c7f2d3ad77e5b8b2930be9e132d5cef6b95%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/b8a1bf18155b552dcf9a928ba808cbadad84c236d85eab3033662cfb%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r03c597a64de790ba42c167efacfa23300c3d6c9fe589ab87fe02859c%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.or
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r587e50b86c1a96ee301f751d50294072d142fd6dc08a8987ae9f3a9b%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.or
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r9136ff5b13e4f1941360b5a309efee2c114a14855578c3a2cbe5d19c%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.or
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20180605-0001/ Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4557-1/ Third Party Advisory
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html PatchThird Party Advisory
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-0457.html Third Party Advisory
http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3720 Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/93943 Broken Link
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037143 Broken Link
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0455 Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0456 Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:2247 Third Party Advisory
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/09d2f2c65ac4ff5da42f15dc2b0f78b655e50f1a42e8a9784134a9eb%40%3Cannounce.tomcat.apach
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/343558d982879bf88ec20dbf707f8c11255f8e219e81d45c4f8d0551%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/37220405a377c0182d2afdbc36461c4783b2930fbeae3a17f1333113%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/388a323769f1dff84c9ec905455aa73fbcb20338e3c7eb131457f708%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/39ae1f0bd5867c15755a6f959b271ade1aea04ccdc3b2e639dcd903b%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/3d19773b4cf0377db62d1e9328bf9160bf1819f04f988315086931d7%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/6af47120905aa7d8fe12f42e8ff2284fb338ba141d3b77b8c7cb61b3%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/845312a10aabbe2c499fca94003881d2c79fc993d85f34c1f5c77424%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org

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Source: NIST National Vulnerability Database (record CVE-2016-6794), CISA KEV, FIRST EPSS (scores of 2026-09-27). This page is refreshed as NVD updates the record.