HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2016-5018
CRITICAL

CVE-2016-5018

NVD-CWE-noinfoPublished: August 10, 2017· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.1
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

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 and 6.0.0 to 6.0.45 a malicious web application was able to bypass a configured SecurityManager via a Tomcat utility method that was accessible to web applications.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2016-5018 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), with a CVSS base score of 9.1.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityNone
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

Affected Vendors & Products

Apache1 product(s)
tomcat
Canonical1 product(s)
ubuntu linux
Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
netapp3 product(s)
oncommand insightoncommand shiftsnap creator framework
Oracle1 product(s)
tekelec platform distribution
Red Hat8 product(s)
jboss enterprise application platformjboss enterprise web serverenterprise linux desktopenterprise linux eusenterprise linux serverenterprise linux server ausenterprise linux server tusenterprise linux workstation
Source: NVD CPE · 22 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

PATCHhttps://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html
PATCHhttps://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html
ADVISORYhttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/155873/Tomcat-9.0.0.M1-Sandbox-Escape.html
ADVISORYhttp://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-0457.html
ADVISORYhttp://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-1551.html
ADVISORYhttp://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3720
ADVISORYhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0455
ADVISORYhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0456
ADVISORYhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:1548
ADVISORYhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:1549
ADVISORYhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:1550
ADVISORYhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:1552
ADVISORYhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:2247
ADVISORYhttps://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20180605-0001/
ADVISORYhttps://usn.ubuntu.com/4557-1/
ADVISORYhttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/155873/Tomcat-9.0.0.M1-Sandbox-Escape.html
ADVISORYhttp://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-0457.html
ADVISORYhttp://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-1551.html
ADVISORYhttp://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3720
ADVISORYhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0455
ADVISORYhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0456
ADVISORYhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:1548
ADVISORYhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:1549
ADVISORYhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:1550
ADVISORYhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:1552
ADVISORYhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:2247
ADVISORYhttps://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20180605-0001/
ADVISORYhttps://usn.ubuntu.com/4557-1/

All References (60)

→
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/155873/Tomcat-9.0.0.M1-Sandbox-Escape.htmlExploit · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-0457.htmlThird Party Advisory
→
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-1551.htmlThird Party Advisory
→
http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3720Third Party Advisory
→
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/93942Broken Link
→
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037142Broken Link
→
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1038757Broken Link
→
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0455Third Party Advisory
→
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0456Third Party Advisory
→
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:1548Third Party Advisory
→
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:1549Third Party Advisory
→
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:1550Third Party Advisory
→
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:1552Third Party Advisory
→
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:2247Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/343558d982879bf88ec20dbf707f8c11255f8e219e81d45c4f8d0551%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2016-5018
CVSS Score9.1 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessNVD-CWE-noinfo
CISA KEVNo
Affected6 vendor(s)
PublishedAug 10, 2017

Related CVEs (NVD-CWE-noinfo)

CVE-2008-4873
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CVE-2015-3042
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CVE-2024-44146
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CVE-2024-44148
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CVE-2017-3623
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CVE-2015-5895
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Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2016-5018 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWatch. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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