# 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/).

- Page: https://www.vulneraibility.com/cve/CVE-2019-0232
- CVSS: 8.1
- Known exploited: not in CISA KEV as of our last sync
- EPSS: 99.92% (percentile 100.0)
- Public exploit code: 1 on Exploit-DB · 1 Metasploit module · 15 GitHub proofs of concept · 1 Nuclei template (first 2019-04-15)
- CISA SSVC: exploitation none, automatable no, technical impact total (assessed 2026-11-02)
- Published: 2019-04-15

## Affected versions

- Apache Tomcat: affected 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.17; 8.5.0 to 8.5.39; 7.0.0 to 7.0.93

A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected.

## References

- [other] https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/5f297a4b9080b5f65a05bc139596d0e437d6a539b25e31d29d028767%40%3Cannounce.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- [other] https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/1dd0a59c1295cc08ce4c9e7edae5ad2268acc9ba55adcefa0532e5ba%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- [other] https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/673b6148d92cd7bc99ea2dcf85ad75d57da44fc322d51f37fb529a2a%40%3Ccommits.ofbiz.apache.org%3E
- [other] https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/3d19773b4cf0377db62d1e9328bf9160bf1819f04f988315086931d7%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- [other] https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/a6c87a09a71162fd563ab1c4e70a08a103e0b7c199fc391f1c9c4c35%40%3Ccommits.ofbiz.apache.org%3E
- [other] https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/6af47120905aa7d8fe12f42e8ff2284fb338ba141d3b77b8c7cb61b3%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- [other] https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/52ffb9fbf661245386a83a661183d13f1de2e5779fa23837a08e02ac%40%3Ccommits.ofbiz.apache.org%3E
- [other] https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/dd4b325cdb261183dbf5ce913c102920a8f09c26dae666a98309165b%40%3Cnotifications.ofbiz.apache.org%3E
- [other] https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/96849486813a95dfd542e1618b7923ca945508aaf4a4341f674d83e3%40%3Cnotifications.ofbiz.apache.org%3E
- [other] http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/107906
- [other] https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/f4d48b32ef2b6aa49c8830241a9475da5b46e451f964b291c7a0a715%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- [other] http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/May/4
- [advisory] https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:1712
- [other] https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r6d03e45b81eab03580cf7f8bb51cb3e9a1b10a2cc0c6a2d3cc92ed0c%40%3Cannounce.apache.org%3E
- [other] https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r6ccee4e849bc77df0840c7f853f6bd09d426f6741247da2b7429d5d9%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- [other] https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r3bbb800a816d0a51eccc5a228c58736960a9fffafa581a225834d97d%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- [other] https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r9136ff5b13e4f1941360b5a309efee2c114a14855578c3a2cbe5d19c%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- [other] https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/raba0fabaf4d56d4325ab2aca8814f0b30a237ab83d8106b115ee279a%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- [other] https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r48c1444845fe15a823e1374674bfc297d5008a5453788099ea14caf0%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- [other] https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2020.html
- [other] https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpujul2019-5072835.html
- [other] https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpuoct2019-5072832.html
- [other] https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2020.html
- [other] https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuApr2021.html
- [other] https://codewhitesec.blogspot.com/2016/02/java-and-command-line-injections-in-windows.html
- [other] https://web.archive.org/web/20161228144344/https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/twistylittlepassagesallalike/2011/04/23/everyone-quotes-command-line-arguments-the-wrong-way/
- [other] https://www.synology.com/security/advisory/Synology_SA_19_17
- [other] https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190419-0001/
- [other] https://www.broadcom.com/support/fibre-channel-networking/security-advisories/brocade-security-advisory-2019-784
- [other] https://blog.trendmicro.com/trendlabs-security-intelligence/uncovering-cve-2019-0232-a-remote-code-execution-vulnerability-in-apache-tomcat/
- [other] https://wwws.nightwatchcybersecurity.com/2019/04/30/remote-code-execution-rce-in-cgi-servlet-apache-tomcat-on-windows-cve-2019-0232/
- [other] http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/153506/Apache-Tomcat-CGIServlet-enableCmdLineArguments-Remote-Code-Execution.html

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Summary, impact and action are written by the vulneraibility.com AI analysis pipeline from the CVE record, NVD, CISA and FIRST data; verify against the references.