CVE-2024-52316: Apache Tomcat Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2024-52316 Overview

Unchecked Error Condition vulnerability in Apache Tomcat. If Tomcat is configured to use a custom Jakarta Authentication (formerly JASPIC) ServerAuthContext component which may throw an exception during the authentication process without explicitly setting an HTTP status to indicate failure, the authentication may not fail, allowing the user to bypass the authentication process. There are no known Jakarta Authentication components that behave in this way.

Critical Impact
This vulnerability allows an attacker to bypass authentication processes, potentially leading to unauthorized access and control of affected systems.

Affected Products

Apache Tomcat 11.0.0-M1 to 11.0.0-M26
Apache Tomcat 10.1.0-M1 to 10.1.30
Apache Tomcat 9.0.0-M1 to 9.0.95

Discovery Timeline

Not Available - Vulnerability discovered
Not Available - Responsible disclosure to Apache
Not Available - CVE CVE-2024-52316 assigned
Not Available - Apache releases security patch
2024-11-18 - CVE CVE-2024-52316 published to NVD
2025-11-07 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-52316

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability exists due to an unchecked error condition in custom Jakarta Authentication components within Apache Tomcat. If a custom ServerAuthContext throws an exception during authentication and does not set an HTTP error status, the process may inadvertently succeed, bypassing authentication controls.

Root Cause

The root cause lies in inadequate handling of exceptions thrown by custom authentication modules, which fail to instigate appropriate error responses.

Attack Vector

Network

java

// Example exploitation code (sanitized)
try {
    authContext.validateRequest(...);
} catch (Exception e) {
    // Missing error handling, leading to potential bypass
}

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-52316

Indicators of Compromise

Unusual login success without HTTP status codes indicative of authentication failure
Access logs showing unexpected successful authentications
Discrepancies between expected and actual authentication outputs

Detection Strategies

Monitoring server logs for anomalies in authentication behavior can help detect potential exploit attempts. Implement automated alerts for successful authentications lacking explicit HTTP status codes.

Monitoring Recommendations

It is advised to audit and review logs associated with authentication processes to identify and investigate anomalies promptly.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-52316

Immediate Actions Required

Review and update custom ServerAuthContext implementations to ensure error states are correctly managed.
Implement runtime checks for exceptions and enforce explicit HTTP error status responses.
Conduct comprehensive testing to validate authentication workflows and error-handling mechanisms.

Patch Information

Users are recommended to upgrade to Apache Tomcat versions 11.0.0, 10.1.31, or 9.0.96, which rectify this vulnerability.

Workarounds

In environments where upgrading is delayed, ensure all custom authentication components are audited for robust exception handling.

bash

# Configuration example
tomcat_init_script="/etc/init.d/tomcat"

if [ -f "$tomcat_init_script" ]; then
    /bin/sh "$tomcat_init_script" update-config
fi