CVE-2016-8735 KEV Critical · 9.8 EPSS 90.3%
Apache Tomcat Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Apache · Tomcat
Summary
The flaw is in Apache Tomcat's JmxRemoteLifecycleListener component, which is affected in Tomcat releases before 6.0.48, 7.x before 7.0.73, 8.x before 8.0.39, 8.5.x before 8.5.7, and 9.x before 9.0.0.M12 because the listener was not updated to match an earlier Oracle credential-type patch. An attacker who can reach the JMX ports over the network, in a deployment where this listener is configured, can execute remote code without needing credentials or any user interaction.
Official description · NVD
Remote code execution is possible with Apache Tomcat before 6.0.48, 7.x before 7.0.73, 8.x before 8.0.39, 8.5.x before 8.5.7, and 9.x before 9.0.0.M12 if JmxRemoteLifecycleListener is used and an attacker can reach JMX ports. The issue exists because this listener wasn't updated for consistency with the CVE-2016-3427 Oracle patch that affected credential types.
Priority scorePatchfirst’s 0 to 100 ranking. It adds points for CISA KEV listing, ransomware use, EPSS, threat reports, public exploit code and CVSS. Every CVE page shows the breakdown. Breakdown
64.8 / 100
- Exploited
- Yes, in CISA KEV
- Reports
- 0
- Tactics
- 2/15
How an attack unfolds
Based on MITRE ATT&CKA public catalogue of the techniques attackers use, maintained by MITRE. Patchfirst uses it to describe what attackers do with a vulnerability. mappings. Select a step to see the evidence.Exploitation timelineDated milestones for a CVE: when it was disclosed, when exploit code became public, when exploitation was confirmed, and when threat reports named it.
First seen exploited 6 years after disclosure.
- Disclosedday 0
CISA KEV listing is when exploitation was confirmed, not necessarily the first attack.
Patch historyEarlier and later CVEs in the same code, in date order. It shows when a fix was bypassed or incomplete and which version finally fixed it.
7 fixes in tomcat-catalina over 5 years. The latest fix listed for tomcat-catalina is 9.0.17.
Fixes in tomcat-catalinaMaven package, by fixed version. Earlier and later fixes in the same package, not necessarily the same bug.
- 8.0.6CVE-2014-009631 May 2014
- 8.0.6CVE-2014-011931 May 2014
- 8.5.5CVE-2016-538819 Jul 2016
- 9.0.0.M12CVE-2016-87356 Apr 2017KEV
- 9.0.0.M18CVE-2017-564817 Apr 2017
- 9.0.1CVE-2017-126174 Oct 2017KEV
- 9.0.17CVE-2019-022128 May 2019Latest listed
MITRE ATT&CKA public catalogue of the techniques attackers use, maintained by MITRE. Patchfirst uses it to describe what attackers do with a vulnerability. techniques
2 TechniqueOne specific attacker behaviour in MITRE ATT&CK, such as T1190 “Exploit Public-Facing Application”. IDs with a dot, like T1059.004, are sub-techniques., grouped by TacticThe attacker’s goal at a stage of an attack in MITRE ATT&CK, such as Initial Access or Persistence. Each technique belongs to one or more tactics. in kill-chain order, 2 cited passages 2Initial AccessTA0001
Exploit Public-Facing Application T1190 Medium Confidence (technique links)How sure Patchfirst is that an ATT&CK technique applies to this CVE. High and medium links are shown by default; low ones come from early or generic mappings, text matching, or contradict the CVE’s details.
AI mapping from the description · how it is exploited
Attacker reaches exposed JMX port remotely
Remote code execution is possible with Apache Tomcat
ExecutionTA0002
Command and Scripting Interpreter T1059 Medium Confidence (technique links)How sure Patchfirst is that an ATT&CK technique applies to this CVE. High and medium links are shown by default; low ones come from early or generic mappings, text matching, or contradict the CVE’s details.
AI mapping from the description · primary impact
Yields arbitrary code execution on server
Remote code execution is possible with Apache Tomcat
Detection
0 rules for this CVE · 244 general rules for its techniquesRules for this CVE
0Sigma ruleAn open, vendor-neutral detection rule for log data. Security teams convert Sigma rules into searches for their own SIEM. that reference CVE-2016-8735 directly.CVE-specific rules are not available in this build. Search SigmaHQ ↗
General rules for this CVE’s techniques
These detect the technique in general, not this specific vulnerability.
Exploit Public-Facing ApplicationT1190149 general rules
- Arcadyan Router Exploitationscriticaltest
- Citrix ADS Exploitation CVE-2020-8193 CVE-2020-8195criticaltest
- Citrix Netscaler Attack CVE-2019-19781criticaltest
- Confluence Exploitation CVE-2019-3398criticaltest
- CVE-2010-5278 Exploitation Attemptcriticaltest
- CVE-2020-0688 Exchange Exploitation via Web Logcriticaltest
- CVE-2020-10148 SolarWinds Orion API Auth Bypasscriticaltest
- CVE-2020-5902 F5 BIG-IP Exploitation Attemptcriticaltest
Command and Scripting InterpreterT105995 general rules
- HackTool - Sliver C2 Implant Activity Patterncriticaltest
- Lazarus Group Activitycriticaltest
- REvil Kaseya Incident Malware Patternscriticaltest
- Turla Group Lateral Movementcriticaltest
- Windows Defender AMSI Trigger Detectedhighstable
- Windows Defender Threat Detectedhighstable
- Abusable DLL Potential Sideloading From Suspicious Locationhightest
- Add Insecure Download Source To Wingethightest
Sigma rules © SigmaHQ, Detection Rule License 1.1; linked, not reproduced.
Am I affected? What do I upgrade to?
From GitHub Security Advisories and OSV2 packages in 1 ecosystem. No single main package: each of these ships the affected code.
- Mavenorg.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina-jmx-remoteAffected: 9.0.0.M1 up to 9.0.0.M12; 8.5.0 up to 8.5.7; 8.0.0 up to 8.0.39; 7.0.0 up to 7.0.73; All versions before 6.0.48Upgrade to 8.5.7 (older lines: 9.0.0.M12, 8.0.39, 7.0.73, 6.0.48)
- Mavenorg.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalinaAffected: 9.0.0.M1 up to 9.0.0.M12; 8.5.0 up to 8.5.7; 8.0.0 up to 8.0.39; 7.0.0 up to 7.0.73; All versions before 6.0.48Upgrade to 8.5.55 (older lines: 9.0.109, 8.0.47, 7.0.104, 6.0.48)
What security researchers reported
Not named in any threat report yetAlso mentioned in 50 community threat pulses (AlienVault OTX)
Weaker evidencePulses are indicator collections that anyone can publish. A mention is not confirmation of exploitation.
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 202628 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 202627 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 202626 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 202623 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 202622 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 202621 Oct 2026
- 44 more on OTX