Apache Tomcat version older than 7.0.30
Description
Apache Tomcat versions 7.0.0 through 7.0.29 contain two critical security vulnerabilities that compromise authentication mechanisms. CVE-2012-3546 allows attackers to bypass FORM-based security constraints by appending /j_security_check to URLs when certain conditions are met. CVE-2012-3439 exposes multiple weaknesses in DIGEST authentication implementation, including improper nonce tracking, session-based authentication bypass, and insufficient credential validation before nonce expiration checks. These vulnerabilities enable unauthorized access to protected resources and facilitate replay attacks.
Remediation
Upgrade Apache Tomcat to version 7.0.30 or later immediately. Follow these steps:
1. Backup your current installation:
tar -czf tomcat-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz /path/to/tomcat
2. Download Apache Tomcat 7.0.30 or the latest 7.x version from the official Apache Tomcat website.
3. Stop the Tomcat service:
./bin/shutdown.sh
4. Replace the Tomcat binaries while preserving your configuration files in the
conf/ directory and applications in webapps/.5. Restart Tomcat and verify the version:
./bin/version.sh
6. Test your applications thoroughly to ensure compatibility with the updated version. Review security constraint configurations and authentication mechanisms to confirm proper functionality after the upgrade.