How severe is CVE-2016-6794?

CVE-2016-6794 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.3, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2016-6794 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 7% (94th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-6794?

CVE-2016-6794 primarily affects Apache Tomcat. In total, 28 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-6794?

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

When was CVE-2016-6794 published?

CVE-2016-6794 was published on 2017-08-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-6794

CVE-2016-6794 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Apache Tomcat with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.3. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.3)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 7% (94th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Affected product: Apache Tomcat
Published: 2017-08-10
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

When a SecurityManager is configured, a web application's ability to read system properties should be controlled by the SecurityManager. In Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.0.M9, 8.5.0 to 8.5.4, 8.0.0.RC1 to 8.0.36, 7.0.0 to 7.0.70, 6.0.0 to 6.0.45 the system property replacement feature for configuration files could be used by a malicious web application to bypass the SecurityManager and read system properties that should not be visible.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-6794?: When a SecurityManager is configured, a web application's ability to read system properties should be controlled by the SecurityManager. In Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.0.M9, 8.5.0 to 8.5.4, 8.0.0.RC1 to 8.0.36, 7.0.0 to 7.0.70, 6.0.0 to 6.0.45 the system property replacement feature for configuration files could be used by a malicious web application to bypass the SecurityManager and read system properties that should not be visible.
How severe is CVE-2016-6794?: CVE-2016-6794 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.3, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2016-6794 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 7% (94th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-6794?: CVE-2016-6794 primarily affects Apache Tomcat. In total, 28 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-6794?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2016-6794 published?: CVE-2016-6794 was published on 2017-08-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (28)

cpe:2.3:a:apache:tomcat:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:apache:tomcat:9.0.0:milestone1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:apache:tomcat:9.0.0:milestone2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:apache:tomcat:9.0.0:milestone3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:apache:tomcat:9.0.0:milestone4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:apache:tomcat:9.0.0:milestone5:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:apache:tomcat:9.0.0:milestone6:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:apache:tomcat:9.0.0:milestone7:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:apache:tomcat:9.0.0:milestone8:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:apache:tomcat:9.0.0:milestone9:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:jboss_enterprise_web_server:3.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:7.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:7.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:7.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:netapp:oncommand_insight:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:netapp:oncommand_shift:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:netapp:snap_creator_framework:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:tekelec_platform_distribution:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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