How severe is CVE-2012-5887?

CVE-2012-5887 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 5.0, rated medium severity.

Is CVE-2012-5887 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 12% (96th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2012-5887?

CVE-2012-5887 affects Apache Tomcat. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2012-5887?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2012-5887 published?

CVE-2012-5887 was published on 2012-11-17 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2012-5887

CVE-2012-5887 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Apache Tomcat with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 5.0. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 12% places it in the 96th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-287.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 2.0 base score 5.0)
EPSS exploit prediction: 12% (96th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-287
Affected product: Apache Tomcat
Published: 2012-11-17
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

The HTTP Digest Access Authentication implementation in Apache Tomcat 5.5.x before 5.5.36, 6.x before 6.0.36, and 7.x before 7.0.30 does not properly check for stale nonce values in conjunction with enforcement of proper credentials, which makes it easier for remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions by sniffing the network for valid requests.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2012-5887?: The HTTP Digest Access Authentication implementation in Apache Tomcat 5.5.x before 5.5.36, 6.x before 6.0.36, and 7.x before 7.0.30 does not properly check for stale nonce values in conjunction with enforcement of proper credentials, which makes it easier for remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions by sniffing the network for valid requests.
How severe is CVE-2012-5887?: CVE-2012-5887 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 5.0, rated medium severity.
Is CVE-2012-5887 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 12% (96th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2012-5887?: CVE-2012-5887 affects Apache Tomcat. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2012-5887?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2012-5887 published?: CVE-2012-5887 was published on 2012-11-17 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:apache:tomcat:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Apache Tomcat

CVE-2026-43512 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): DEPRECATED: Authentication Bypass Issues vulnerability in digest authentication in Apache Tomcat. This issue affects…
CVE-2026-41293 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Improper Input Validation vulnerability in Apache Tomcat. This issue affects Apache Tomcat: from 11.0.0-M1 through…
CVE-2025-31651 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Improper Neutralization of Escape, Meta, or Control Sequences vulnerability in Apache Tomcat. For a subset of unlikely…
CVE-2025-24813 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Path Equivalence: 'file.Name' (Internal Dot) leading to Remote Code Execution and/or Information disclosure and/or…
CVE-2024-56337 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition vulnerability in Apache Tomcat. This issue affects Apache Tomcat:…
CVE-2024-50379 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition vulnerability during JSP compilation in Apache Tomcat permits an RCE…

All CVEs affecting Apache Tomcat →

Other CWE-287 (Improper Authentication) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-45480 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Improper authentication in Azure Active Directory allows an unauthorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network.
CVE-2026-46389 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): UDS Identity Config builds the Keycloak configuration image (realm, plugins, theme, truststore, JARs) consumed by UDS…
CVE-2026-10611 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): An authentication bypass vulnerability exists in MISP when LDAP mixed authentication is enabled with OTP enforcement.…
CVE-2026-47280 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Improper authentication in Azure Resource Manager (ARM) allows an unauthorized attacker to elevate privileges over a…
CVE-2026-42822 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Improper authentication in Azure Local Disconnected Operations allows an unauthorized attacker to elevate privileges…
CVE-2026-20182 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): May 2026: This security advisory provides the details and fix information for a vulnerability that was discovered and…

Browse all CWE-287 (Improper Authentication) vulnerabilities →