Unauthenticated file read via injected AJP attributes
Published Feb 24, 2020 · Updated Oct 21, 2025
AJP request injection in affected Apache Tomcat releases allows remote attackers to read arbitrary web application files over exposed AJP. AjpProcessor accepts attacker-supplied arbitrary request attributes and applies crafted servlet include paths, causing the JSP servlet to return protected resources or process chosen files as JSP. The AJP port must be reachable by an untrusted party; code execution additionally requires attacker-controlled content inside the web application.
Summary
What happened
AJP request injection in affected Apache Tomcat releases allows remote attackers to read arbitrary web application files over exposed AJP. AjpProcessor accepts attacker-supplied arbitrary request attributes and applies crafted servlet include paths, causing the JSP servlet to return protected resources or process chosen files as JSP. The AJP port must be reachable by an untrusted party; code execution additionally requires attacker-controlled content inside the web application.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2020-1938
- Published
- Feb 24, 2020
- Updated
- Oct 21, 2025
- Vendor
- The Apache Software Foundation
- Product
- Apache Tomcat
- Classifications
- T1190
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 24, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 21, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=7.0.0 to 7.0.99
- Affected versionversion=8.5.0 to 8.5.50
- Affected versionversion=Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.0.30
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- AJP packet for testing Tomcat arbitrary file readproof of concept · unverified
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Reported exploitation
- CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog listingknown exploited catalog
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
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