CVE Intelligence
Medium Access control

CVE-2014-0096 — Improper Input Validation in Apache Tomcat

java/org/apache/catalina/servlets/DefaultServlet.java in the default servlet in Apache Tomcat before 6.0.40, 7.x before 7.0.53, and 8.x before 8.0.4 does not properly restrict XSLT stylesheets, which allows remote attackers to bypass security-manager restrictions and read arbitrary files via a crafted web application that provides an XML external entity declaration in conjunction with an entity reference, related to an XML External Entity (XXE) issue.

Published May 31, 2014 · Updated Oct 14, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP, GitHub Security Advisories · CNA: redhat

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.
How the score was calculated
  • EPSS 6.9% (30-day exploitation probability)+14
  • Technical severity (medium)+3
  • Automatable exploitation (SSVC)+3

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation
Not confirmed
Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.
EPSS FIRST
6.91%
ahead of 94% of scored CVEs · Oct 14, 2026
Affects
Apache Software Foundation
Tomcat and 2 more
CVSS base
4.3
Medium · 1 source(s)

CISA SSVC assessment CISA

Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.

Exploitation
None
none · proof-of-concept · active
Automatable
Yes
can an attacker script the kill-chain steps
Technical impact
Partial
partial · total control of the vulnerable component

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

  • Maven Org.apache.tomcat:tomcat: fixed in version 6.0.40 — github.com (GitHub Security Advisories)
  • Maven Org.apache.tomcat:tomcat: fixed in version 7.0.54 — github.com (GitHub Security Advisories)
  • Maven Org.apache.tomcat:tomcat: fixed in version 8.0.6 — github.com (GitHub Security Advisories)
  • Maven Org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina: fixed in version 6.0.40 — github.com (GitHub Security Advisories)
  • Maven Org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina: fixed in version 7.0.54 — github.com (GitHub Security Advisories)
  • Maven Org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina: fixed in version 8.0.6 — github.com (GitHub Security Advisories)

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

  1. Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Apache Software Foundation Tomcat, Maven Org.apache.tomcat:tomcat, Maven Org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina).
  2. The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
  3. Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
  4. EPSS ahead of 94% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
  5. Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (access control), errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

VendorProductVersionsStatusSource
Apache Software Foundation Tomcat version 7.0.0version 7.0.0-betaversion 7.0.1version 7.0.2version 7.0.2-betaversion 7.0.3version 7.0.4version 7.0.4-beta
and 99 more version 7.0.5version 7.0.6version 7.0.7version 7.0.8version 7.0.9version 7.0.10version 7.0.11version 7.0.12version 7.0.13version 7.0.14version 7.0.15version 7.0.16version 7.0.17version 7.0.18version 7.0.19version 7.0.20version 7.0.21version 7.0.22version 7.0.23version 7.0.24version 7.0.25version 7.0.26version 7.0.27version 7.0.28version 7.0.29version 7.0.30version 7.0.31version 7.0.32version 7.0.33version 7.0.34version 7.0.35version 7.0.36version 7.0.37version 7.0.38version 7.0.39version 7.0.40version 7.0.41version 7.0.42version 7.0.43version 7.0.44version 7.0.45version 7.0.46version 7.0.47version 7.0.48version 7.0.49version 7.0.50version 7.0.52version 8.0.0-rc1version 8.0.0-rc10version 8.0.0-rc2version 8.0.0-rc5version 8.0.1version 8.0.3≤ 6.0.39version 6version 6.0version 6.0.0version 6.0.0-alphaversion 6.0.1version 6.0.1-alphaversion 6.0.2version 6.0.2-alphaversion 6.0.2-betaversion 6.0.3version 6.0.4version 6.0.4-alphaversion 6.0.5version 6.0.6version 6.0.6-alphaversion 6.0.7version 6.0.7-alphaversion 6.0.7-betaversion 6.0.8version 6.0.8-alphaversion 6.0.9version 6.0.9-betaversion 6.0.10version 6.0.11version 6.0.12version 6.0.13version 6.0.14version 6.0.15version 6.0.16version 6.0.17version 6.0.18version 6.0.19version 6.0.20version 6.0.24version 6.0.26version 6.0.27version 6.0.28version 6.0.29version 6.0.30version 6.0.31version 6.0.32version 6.0.33version 6.0.35version 6.0.36version 6.0.37
Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Maven Org.apache.tomcat:tomcat < 6.0.40≥ 7.0.0 and < 7.0.54≥ 8.0.0 and < 8.0.6 Vulnerable GitHub Security Advisories
Maven Org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina < 6.0.40≥ 7.0.0 and < 7.0.54≥ 8.0.0 and < 8.0.6 Vulnerable GitHub Security Advisories

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Medium
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Partial
Integrity
None
Availability
None

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

ScoreVersionSeverityExpl.ImpactScored by
4.3 CVSS 2.0 Medium 8.6 2.9 nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov)

Weakness MITRE

Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.

CWE-264 · Permissions, Privileges, and Access Controls

Other CVEs with this weakness →

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

  • Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
  • Audit administrative actions and access to resources outside each user’s normal pattern.
web/proxy/WAF logsnetwork IDS/IPSauthentication logsapplication logs

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

  • 2026
  • Fix documented
    Oct 14, 2026 · GitHub Security Advisories
  • Affected products added · maven/org.apache.tomcat:tomcat, maven/org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina
    Oct 14, 2026 · GitHub Security Advisories
  • SSVC assessment updated
    Oct 14, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Record published
    Oct 14, 2026
  • Affected products added · apache/tomcat
    Oct 14, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • CVSS changed · 4.3
    Oct 14, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Source status changed · → Modified
    Oct 14, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Record created in this database
    Oct 14, 2026 · Alertas do Telegram
  • 2014
  • CVE published
    May 31, 2014 · redhat

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

  • 2× References added · Oct 14, 2026 – Oct 14, 2026
  • 1× Official description updated · Oct 14, 2026 – Oct 14, 2026

References

62 on the record

Elsewhere on this site

Apache Software Foundation
every CVE for this vendor
Access control
same class
CWE-264
other pages naming this weakness

Related CVEs (same products)

  • CVE-2026-73180 Insufficient Session Expiration vulnerability in Apache Tomcat meant that if the session… Aug 25, 2026
  • CVE-2026-65183 TOCTOU Race Condition in Apache Software Foundation Tomcat Aug 25, 2026
  • CVE-2026-65637 Improper Input Validation in Apache Software Foundation Tomcat Aug 25, 2026
  • CVE-2026-65905 Authentication Bypass by Capture-replay in Apache Software Foundation Tomcat Aug 25, 2026
  • CVE-2026-65927 Off-by-one Error vulnerability in Apache Tomcat impacting the [N] flag on the rewrite… Aug 25, 2026
  • CVE-2026-68525 Incorrect Authorization in Apache Software Foundation Tomcat Aug 25, 2026

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

  • No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
  • No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
  • No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2014-0096 is "Improper Input Validation in Apache Tomcat", rated Medium. It affects Tomcat (Apache Software Foundation); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 4.3 describes technical severity. EPSS 6.91% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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