CVE-2019-0232
When running on Windows with enableCmdLineArguments enabled, the CGI Servlet in Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.17, 8.5.0 to 8.5.39 and 7.0.0 to 7.0.93 is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution due to a bug in the way the JRE passes command line arguments to Windows. The CGI Servlet is disabled by default. The CGI option enableCmdLineArguments is disable by default in Tomcat 9.0.x (and will be disabled by default in all versions in response to this vulnerability). For a detailed explanation of the JRE behaviour, see Markus Wulftange's blog (https://codewhitesec.blogspot.com/2016/02/java-and-command-line-injections-in-windows.html) and this archived MSDN blog (https://web.archive.org/web/20161228144344/https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/twistylittlepassagesallalike/2011/04/23/everyone-quotes-command-line-arguments-the-wrong-way/).
- CVSS
- 8.1High
- Exploited in the wild
- Not knownPublic exploit code; not in CISA KEV
- EPSS
- 99.9%chance of exploitation in the next 30 daystop 0.1% of scored CVEsFIRST score of 11 Nov 2026
- Fix
- Patch availablesee the advisories in the references
- Published
- 15 Apr 2019analysed here 12 Nov 2026
Summary
Triage
The summary, impact and action text on this page are written by our AI analysis pipeline, or taken from the NVD description when a CVE was imported from NVD. They are not the vendor's wording: check them against the sources. A longer AI executive summary and technical analysis are generated for signed-in accounts on the Max plan.
Affected products
| Product | Affected versions | Vendor says fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Apache Tomcat | 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.178.5.0 to 8.5.397.0.0 to 7.0.93Vendor says fixed in: not stated |
As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.
Products named in our analysis
- apache:tomcat
Fix and mitigation
WAF and other mitigations
Can a WAF block it? Partly. OS command injection puts shell syntax into the request. WAF rules catch common shell commands but miss encoded or unusual payloads.
Also consider: shlex/execve-style APIs
Based on the weakness type only; no CVE-specific evidence yet. We check Cloudflare, AWS, Google Cloud Armor and Azure; for Akamai, Imperva, Fastly, F5, ask your vendor.
Remediation steps (AI-written)
Step-by-step remediation is generated for accounts on the Max plan, for CVEs that match a technology in their stack. Add this technology to your stack to see the fix checklist.
Exploitation evidence
- CISA KEV catalog
- Not listed as of our last sync.
- Public exploit code
- Yes: 1 on Exploit-DB · 1 Metasploit module · 15 GitHub proofs of concept · 1 Nuclei template
- CISA SSVC
- exploitation none, automatable no, technical impact totalAssessed by CISA 2 Nov 2026 (SSVC 2.0.3). Exploitation is none, poc (public proof of concept) or active.
Exploit-DB
- Apache Tomcat - CGIServlet enableCmdLineArguments Remote Code Execution (Metasploit)remote, 3 Jul 2019, verified by Exploit-DB
Metasploit
- exploit/windows/http/tomcat_cgi_cmdlineargsexploit, rank excellent
Nuclei
- Apache Tomcat `CGIServlet` enableCmdLineArguments - Remote Code Executiondetection template, high
GitHub proofs of concept
- pyn3rd/CVE-2019-0232190 stars
- jas502n/CVE-2019-023282 stars
- jaiguptanick/CVE-2019-023233 stars
- setrus/CVE-2019-023220 stars
and 11 more repositories
Listed so you can judge urgency, not as a recommendation to run anything. GitHub “proofs of concept” are unvetted: some are fake or carry malware. Exploit-DB marks the entries its staff verified.
Timeline
- 15 Apr 2019First public exploit or proof of concept
- 15 Apr 2019Published1 day later
- 2 Nov 2026CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none2,758 days (about 8 years) later
- 2 Nov 2026CVE record last updatedsame day later
- 12 Nov 2026Analysed by vulneraibility.com10 days later
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
| Metric | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Attack vector | NetworkReachable over the internet or any routable network. | Reachable over the internet or any routable network. |
| Attack complexity | HighNeeds specific conditions, a race or a particular configuration. | Needs specific conditions, a race or a particular configuration. |
| Privileges required | NoneThe attacker needs no prior access. | The attacker needs no prior access. |
| User interaction | NoneNo victim action needed. | No victim action needed. |
| Scope | UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component. | Impact stays within the vulnerable component. |
| Confidentiality | HighTotal data disclosure possible. | Total data disclosure possible. |
| Integrity | HighComplete modification possible. | Complete modification possible. |
| Availability | HighFull outage possible. | Full outage possible. |
Common questions
Is CVE-2019-0232 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2019-0232 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 100% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2019-0232?
CVE-2019-0232 is rated High with a CVSS score of 8.1. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.
Is there a patch for CVE-2019-0232?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2019-0232. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2019-0232 affect?
CVE-2019-0232 affects apache:tomcat. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
References
32 references in the CVE record, grouped by the tags the record gives them.
Advisories (1)
- access.redhat.com /errata/RHSA-2019:1712
Other links (31)
- lists.apache.org /thread.html/5f297a4b9080b5f65a05bc139596d0e437d6a539b25e31d29d028767%40%3Cannou
- lists.apache.org /thread.html/1dd0a59c1295cc08ce4c9e7edae5ad2268acc9ba55adcefa0532e5ba%40%3Cdev.t
- lists.apache.org /thread.html/673b6148d92cd7bc99ea2dcf85ad75d57da44fc322d51f37fb529a2a%40%3Ccommi
- lists.apache.org /thread.html/3d19773b4cf0377db62d1e9328bf9160bf1819f04f988315086931d7%40%3Cdev.t
- lists.apache.org /thread.html/a6c87a09a71162fd563ab1c4e70a08a103e0b7c199fc391f1c9c4c35%40%3Ccommi
- lists.apache.org /thread.html/6af47120905aa7d8fe12f42e8ff2284fb338ba141d3b77b8c7cb61b3%40%3Cdev.t
Show 25 more
- lists.apache.org /thread.html/52ffb9fbf661245386a83a661183d13f1de2e5779fa23837a08e02ac%40%3Ccommi
- lists.apache.org /thread.html/dd4b325cdb261183dbf5ce913c102920a8f09c26dae666a98309165b%40%3Cnotif
- lists.apache.org /thread.html/96849486813a95dfd542e1618b7923ca945508aaf4a4341f674d83e3%40%3Cnotif
- securityfocus.com /bid/107906
- lists.apache.org /thread.html/f4d48b32ef2b6aa49c8830241a9475da5b46e451f964b291c7a0a715%40%3Cdev.t
- seclists.org /fulldisclosure/2019/May/4
- lists.apache.org /thread.html/r6d03e45b81eab03580cf7f8bb51cb3e9a1b10a2cc0c6a2d3cc92ed0c%40%3Canno
- lists.apache.org /thread.html/r6ccee4e849bc77df0840c7f853f6bd09d426f6741247da2b7429d5d9%40%3Cdev.
- lists.apache.org /thread.html/r3bbb800a816d0a51eccc5a228c58736960a9fffafa581a225834d97d%40%3Cdev.
- lists.apache.org /thread.html/r9136ff5b13e4f1941360b5a309efee2c114a14855578c3a2cbe5d19c%40%3Cdev.
- lists.apache.org /thread.html/raba0fabaf4d56d4325ab2aca8814f0b30a237ab83d8106b115ee279a%40%3Cdev.
- lists.apache.org /thread.html/r48c1444845fe15a823e1374674bfc297d5008a5453788099ea14caf0%40%3Cdev.
- oracle.com /security-alerts/cpuapr2020.html
- oracle.com /technetwork/security-advisory/cpujul2019-5072835.html
- oracle.com /technetwork/security-advisory/cpuoct2019-5072832.html
- oracle.com /security-alerts/cpujan2020.html
- oracle.com /security-alerts/cpuApr2021.html
- codewhitesec.blogspot.com /2016/02/java-and-command-line-injections-in-windows.html
- web.archive.org /web/20161228144344/https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/twistylittlepassagesallalik
- synology.com /security/advisory/Synology_SA_19_17
- security.netapp.com /advisory/ntap-20190419-0001/
- broadcom.com /support/fibre-channel-networking/security-advisories/brocade-security-advisory-
- blog.trendmicro.com /trendlabs-security-intelligence/uncovering-cve-2019-0232-a-remote-code-executio
- wwws.nightwatchcybersecurity.com /2019/04/30/remote-code-execution-rce-in-cgi-servlet-apache-tomcat-on-windows-cv
- packetstormsecurity.com /files/153506/Apache-Tomcat-CGIServlet-enableCmdLineArguments-Remote-Code-Execut
Where the data on this page comes from
- CVE List (CVE.org): description, affected versions, references; CVE Terms of Use
- NVD: CVSS and CPE data
- CISA Vulnrichment (ADP): SSVC decision points
- FIRST EPSS: exploit probability and percentile
- Exploit-DB: published exploits
- Metasploit Framework: exploit and scanner modules
- Nuclei templates: detection templates
- PoC-in-GitHub: GitHub repositories that claim a proof of concept
Summary, impact and triage tags: written by our AI analysis pipeline from the sources above. Check them against the sources.
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