Comprehensive Analysis of CVE-2024-54677: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in Apache Tomcat

1. Vulnerability Overview

CVE-2024-54677 is a Medium Severity (CVSS: 5.3) Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (CWE-400) vulnerability discovered in Apache Tomcat’s examples web application. It allows attackers to trigger denial-of-service (DoS) conditions by exhausting server resources. Affected versions span Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1–9.0.97, 10.1.0-M1–10.1.33, and 11.0.0-M1–11.0.1[1][9][13].

Key Details

1. Attack Vector: Network (AV:N)
2. Severity: Medium (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L)
3. Impact: Denial of service (DoS) via excessive resource consumption.
4. Patches:

1. Version 9.0.98 (Tomcat 9)
2. Version 10.1.34 (Tomcat 10)
3. Version 11.0.2 (Tomcat 11)[1][13].

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2. Threat Intelligence & Exploitation Activity


Active Exploitation


No evidence of in-the-wild exploitation or publicly available proofs-of-concept (PoCs) has been reported as of July 2025[17][24]. However, the following factors increase risk:

1. Low Attack Complexity: Requires no authentication or privileges (PR:N)[1].
2. Availability in Public Repositories: Some GitHub repositories may host malicious PoCs or fake exploits[37].

Recommendation: Monitor for unusual network traffic patterns (e.g., repeated resource-heavy requests) and validate any observed PoCs for legitimacy.

Threat Actor Activity

No attributed campaigns or advanced persistent threat (APT) groups have been linked to this vulnerability. However, Tomcat’s widespread use makes it a potential target for opportunistic attackers.

3. Technical Deep Dive

Root Cause Analysis

The vulnerability arises from the examples web application’s lack of input validation for uploaded data. Several components within the app (e.g., file uploads or iterative processes) failed to impose limits, enabling an attacker to consume excessive memory. This is exemplified by triggers like repeated large input submissions, leading to OutOfMemoryError exceptions[5][13][43].

Attack Prerequisites & Limitations

1. Prerequisites:

1. Network access to the Tomcat server.
2. Exposure of the examples web app (default: localhost-only access)[5].

1. Limitations:

1. No privilege escalation or data theft capability.
2. Requires repeated resource exhaustion attempts to succeed.

Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Availability


No functioning exploits or validated PoCs are publicly documented. Some GitHub repositories claim PoCs, but these are unverified[37]. Example:

# Hypothetical PoC structure (not validated)

import requests
def trigger_dos(target):
while True:
large_payload = b"X" * 1000000  # 1MB payload

requests.post(f"{target}/examples vyvolitin", data=large_payload)

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4. Supply Chain Implications


Affected Products & Ecosystems

1. Apache Tomcat: Used extensively in Java-based web applications and embedded systems (e.g., netapp, vmware, dell)[3][7][47].
2. Third-Party Integrations: Applications like Veritas NetBackup, NetApp HCI, and HPE Unified OSS Console have advised affected users to upgrade[7][44].

Detection & Prevention Strategies

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5. Vendor Response & Patch Analysis

Apache Tomcat Patches

1. Version 9.0.98: Fixes resource limits in examples/applications (commit hashes: [1d88dd3ff, 721544ea][59]).
2. Version 10.1.34: Resolves issues via enhanced input validation (commit hashes: [f57a9d984, aa5b4d00][48]).
3. Version 11.0.2: Includes virtual thread support (Project Loom) alongside security fixes[2][6].

Industry Advisories

1. NetApp: Patches in NetWorker 19.13 (June 2025 timeline)[7].
2. Debian/Ubuntu: Updated packages (tomcat9 and tomcat10)[4][50].

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6. Detection & Monitoring

Indicators of Compromise (IoCs)

SIEM Queries

# Example Splunk query for Tomcat DoS detection
index=tomcat_access source="/examples/*" | stats count by src_ip | where count > 1000

7. Advanced Mitigation Strategies

Configuration Hardening

1. Disable the Examples App:

“bash
# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo systemctl disable tomcat9
`

1. WAF Rules: Block requests to /examples` with excessive payloads.
2. Rate Limiting: Implement Apache RateLimitFilter for GET/POST requests[2][10].

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8. Related Security Context

Similar Vulnerabilities

1. CVE-2024-50379: Critical RCE in Tomcat (requires non-default configurations)[3][44].
2. Historical Exploits: Prior Tomcat vulnerabilities like CVE-2020-1934 (RCE via Ghostcat).

Vulnerability Chaining

CVE-2024-54677 could be combined with unpatched vulnerabilities (e.g., CVE-2024-50379) to escalate attacks, though no such chaining has been reported.

9. Conclusion & Recommendations

Immediate Actions

1. Apply Patches: Update Tomcat to 9.0.98, 10.1.34, or 11.0.2 immediately.
2. Audit Exposures: Verify the examples app is disabled or network-restricted.
3. Monitor Resources: Deploy memory/traffic alerts for Tomcat servers.

Long-Term Guidance

1. Automated Scans: Use tools like OpenVAS or Qualys to detect vulnerable Tomcat instances.
2. Training: Educate DevOps teams on secure Tomcat configurations (e.g., removing default apps).

CVE-2024-54677 underscores the need for proactive patching and defense-in-depth strategies given Tomcat’s critical role in enterprise architectures. For organizations adhering to CISA’s KEV list, while this CVE is not listed, similar vulnerabilities demonstrate the importance of Tomcat’s security posture.