CVE-2016-6797: High severity Apache Tomcat vulnerability

Published Nov 1, 2016
·
Updated

Last updated 18 August 2025

Other sources

The following flaw was reported in Tomcat:

The ResourceLinkFactory did not limit web application access to global JNDI resources to those resources explicitly linked to the web application. Therefore, it was possible for a web application to access any global JNDI resource whether an explicit ResourceLink had been configured or not.

Upstream patches:

6.0.47: https://svn.apache.org/viewvc?view=revision&revision=1757285 7.0.72: https://svn.apache.org/viewvc?view=revision&revision=1757275 8.5.5: https://svn.apache.org/viewvc?view=revision&revision=1757272 8.0.37: https://svn.apache.org/viewvc?view=revision&revision=1757273

— Red Hat

The ResourceLinkFactory implementation in Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1 to 9. ...

— Debian

Affected Software

50 affected componentsFixes available
redhat/tomcat<6.0.47
6.0.47
redhat/tomcat<7.0.72
7.0.72
redhat/tomcat<8.5.5
8.5.5
redhat/tomcat<8.0.37
8.0.37
maven/org.apache.tomcat:tomcat>=7.0.0<7.0.72
7.0.72
maven/org.apache.tomcat:tomcat>=8.0.0<=8.0.36
8.0.37
maven/org.apache.tomcat:tomcat>=8.5.0<=8.5.4
8.5.5
maven/org.apache.tomcat:tomcat>=9.0.0.M1<=9.0.0.M9
9.0.0.M10
debian/tomcat6
Apache Tomcat>=6.0.0<=6.0.45
Apache Tomcat>=7.0.0<=7.0.70
Apache Tomcat>=8.0<=8.0.36
Apache Tomcat>=8.5.0<=8.5.4
Apache Tomcat=9.0.0-milestone1
Apache Tomcat=9.0.0-milestone2
Apache Tomcat=9.0.0-milestone3
Apache Tomcat=9.0.0-milestone4
Apache Tomcat=9.0.0-milestone5
Apache Tomcat=9.0.0-milestone6
Apache Tomcat=9.0.0-milestone7
Apache Tomcat=9.0.0-milestone8
Apache Tomcat=9.0.0-milestone9
Oracle Tekelec Platform Distribution>=7.4.0<=7.7.1
Debian Debian Linux=8.0
NetApp OnCommand Insight
NetApp Oncommand Shift
NetApp Snap Creator Framework
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=16.04
redhat Jboss Enterprise Web Server=3.0.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop=7.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Eus=7.4
redhat Enterprise Linux Eus=7.5
redhat Enterprise Linux Eus=7.6
redhat Enterprise Linux Eus=7.7
redhat Enterprise Linux Server=7.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Aus=7.4
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Aus=7.6
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Aus=7.7
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Tus=7.6
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Tus=7.7
redhat Enterprise Linux Workstation=7.0
Apache Tomcat=9.0.0-m1
Apache Tomcat=9.0.0-m2
Apache Tomcat=9.0.0-m3
Apache Tomcat=9.0.0-m4
Apache Tomcat=9.0.0-m5
Apache Tomcat=9.0.0-m6
Apache Tomcat=9.0.0-m7
Apache Tomcat=9.0.0-m8
Apache Tomcat=9.0.0-m9

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade maven/org.apache.tomcat:tomcat to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 7.0.72
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade maven/org.apache.tomcat:tomcat to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 8.0.37
  3. Upgrade

    Upgrade maven/org.apache.tomcat:tomcat to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 8.5.5
  4. Upgrade

    Upgrade maven/org.apache.tomcat:tomcat to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 9.0.0.M10
  5. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/tomcat to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 6.0.47
  6. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/tomcat to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 7.0.72
  7. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/tomcat to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 8.5.5
  8. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/tomcat to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 8.0.37
  9. Upgrade

    Upgrade Apache Tomcat to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 6.0.47
  10. Upgrade

    Upgrade Apache Tomcat to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 7.0.72
  11. Upgrade

    Upgrade Apache Tomcat to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 8.0.37
  12. Upgrade

    Upgrade Apache Tomcat to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 8.5.5

Event History

Nov 1, 2016
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·08:58 AM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Aug 10, 2017
CVE Published
via MITRE·10:00 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·10:00 PM
DescriptionWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·10:29 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
May 13, 2022
Advisory Published
via GitHub·01:02 AM
Aug 22, 2025
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·02:26 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Sep 23, 2025
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·02:34 AM
Description
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2016-6797?

The severity of CVE-2016-6797 is considered medium due to its potential for unauthorized access to global JNDI resources.

2

How do I fix CVE-2016-6797?

To fix CVE-2016-6797, update to Tomcat version 6.0.47, 7.0.72, 8.0.37, 8.5.5, or 9.0.0.M10.

3

Which versions of Tomcat are affected by CVE-2016-6797?

Affected versions of Tomcat include 6.0.0 to 6.0.45, 7.0.0 to 7.0.70, 8.0.0 to 8.0.36, and 8.5.0 to 8.5.4.

4

What is the risk associated with CVE-2016-6797?

The risk associated with CVE-2016-6797 is that a vulnerable web application could access sensitive global JNDI resources without proper authorization.

5

Is there a workaround for CVE-2016-6797?

A potential workaround for CVE-2016-6797 includes restricting access to JNDI resources through appropriate security configurations.

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