Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
-
AccessReach Tomcat JNDI realm login
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DeliverySubmit valid username with wrong password
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ExploitBypass skipped auth step
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ExecutionAuthenticate as target user
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ImpactAccess protected resources/data
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A07:2025 - Authentication Failures
ASVS 5.0
V6 - Authentication Critical step enforcement
|
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires the target Tomcat instance to be configured with a JNDI realm (JNDIRealm) using a non-GSSAPI SASL authentication mechanism - this specific, non-default realm/SASL configuration is the mandatory precondition and is reflected by the CVSS 4.0 AT:P (Attack Requirements: Present) flag. When that condition is met, the attacker needs only network access to the authentication endpoint and a valid username; no valid password, prior authentication (PR:N), or user interaction (UI:N) is required. The principal LIMITING factor is the configuration dependency: Tomcat deployments using the default realms (e.g., MemoryRealm, DataSourceRealm/JDBC, or JNDI with GSSAPI SASL) are not affected, which substantially narrows the exploitable population despite the network-facing, unauthenticated nature of the flaw. |
| Impact | This is a genuine high-severity authentication bypass (CWE-304, Missing Critical Step in Authentication) confirmed by the Apache Software Foundation and tracked in NVD/EUVD. The CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N) scores 9.1 and indicates a network-reachable, low-complexity, unauthenticated attack with HIGH confidentiality and integrity impact - consistent with SSVC Technical Impact of 'total'. However, the signals are not uniformly alarming: SSVC reports Exploitation 'none' and Automatable 'no', there is no CISA KEV listing, and no public exploit code was provided in the intelligence set. The CVSS AT:P ('Attack Requirements: Present') flag is the key nuance and aligns with the description's precondition - the flaw only manifests when a JNDI realm is configured with a non-GSSAPI SASL authentication mechanism, which is a non-default, relatively uncommon deployment choice. So while raw CVSS (9.1) looks critical, the realistic blast radius is constrained to the subset of Tomcat instances using that specific realm/SASL configuration. No EPSS score was supplied, so widespread-exploitation probability cannot be independently quantified. Net: treat as a real priority for environments known to use JNDI realm SASL authentication (immediate patch), but lower urgency for the majority of Tomcat deployments that do not use this configuration. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker reaches a Tomcat application whose JNDI realm is configured to use a non-GSSAPI SASL authentication mechanism and submits credentials for a valid username with an incorrect or empty password; because a critical authentication step is skipped, the server accepts the login and grants access as that user. No public exploit code was identified at time of analysis, and the low attack complexity (AC:L) means a successful request requires no special timing or evasion once the vulnerable SASL configuration is present. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv2 – Oct 20, 2026
Authentication bypass in Apache Tomcat's JNDI realm allows unauthenticated remote attackers to log in without a valid password when the realm is configured with a non-GSSAPI SASL mechanism. The flaw affects 11.0.0-M1 through 11.0.26, 10.1.0-M1 through 10.1.60, and 9.0.0.M1 through 9.0.122, plus EOL 8.5.x and 7.0.x branches, and Apache has released fixes in 11.0.27, 10.1.61, and 9.0.123. No public exploit has been identified at time of analysis, and exploitation requires the non-default JNDIRealm/non-GSSAPI SASL configuration.
Earlier versions of this analysis (1)
Authentication bypass in Apache Tomcat allows remote attackers to log in with a valid username and an incorrect password when a JNDI realm is configured to use a non-GSSAPI SASL mechanism. Affected releases include 11.0.0-M1 through 11.0.26, 10.1.0-M1 through 10.1.60, and 9.0.0.M1 through 9.0.122, plus end-of-life 8.5.x and 7.0.x lines; deployments using GSSAPI SASL, no SASL, or non-JNDI realms are not exposed. No public exploit code, EPSS score, or CISA KEV entry is present in the provided data, so exploitation probability is not confirmed, and the non-default configuration prerequisite substantially narrows the exposed population. The authoritative assessment assigns CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N, reflecting network-reachable, low-complexity, unauthenticated access with high confidentiality and integrity impact and no availability impact.
RemediationAI
Upgrade to Apache Tomcat 11.0.27, 10.1.61, or 9.0.123 (matching your major line); these are the vendor-released fixed versions, per the Apache advisory at https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/bl52b9go9ckoov8x4v3dt6rkm573cygd. If upgrading is not immediately possible, reconfigure JNDIRealm to use GSSAPI SASL or switch to a non-JNDI realm (e.g., DataSourceRealm) so the flawed non-GSSAPI SASL path is not exercised; the trade-off is that GSSAPI requires functioning Kerberos infrastructure and changing realms can alter user credential handling and authorization behavior. Until patched, restrict network access to Tomcat authentication endpoints from untrusted networks as a compensating control, accepting that this limits legitimate access rather than fixing the flaw.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
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Technical ContextAI · show details
Apache Tomcat's JNDIRealm is a Realm implementation that authenticates web application users against an LDAP directory via JNDI, optionally using SASL mechanisms. CVE-2026-101296 is a CWE-304 (Missing Critical Step in Authentication) flaw: when the realm is configured with a non-GSSAPI SASL mechanism, the authentication flow omits a required verification step, so a supplied username can be accepted without validation of the correct password. The CVSS 4.0 vector's AT:P reflects that only deployments using this specific JNDIRealm/SASL configuration are exposed; default MemoryRealm, JDBC/DataSourceRealm, and JNDI realms using GSSAPI SASL are not affected. The CPE cpe:2.3:a:apache_software_foundation:apache_tomcat:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* covers the affected Tomcat releases, including the 11.0.x, 10.1.x, 9.0.x, and EOL 8.5.x/7.0.x lines.
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Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Network-reachable (AV:N) authentication bypass needing no credentials (PR:N) or interaction (UI:N); the required non-GSSAPI SASL realm config is a deployment precondition not modeled by PR, yielding C:H/I:H and A:N.
Primary rating from Vendor (apache).
CVSS VectorVendor: apache
Lifecycle Timeline
3DescriptionCVE.org
A missing critical step in authentication vulnerability in Apache Tomcat when the JNDI realm was configured with with a non GSSAPI SASL authentication mechanism allowed attackers to authenticate without providing the correct password.
This issue affects Apache Tomcat: from 11.0.0-M1 through 11.0.26, from 10.1.0-M1 through 10.1.60, from 9.0.0.M1 through 9.0.122.
The following versions were EOL at the time the CVE was created but are known to be affected: from 8.5.0 through 8.5.100, from 7.0.0 through 7.0.109. Other unsupported versions may also be affected.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 11.0.27, 10.1.61 or 9.0.123, which fix the issue.
Articles & Coverage 2
Executive ViewAI
Apache Tomcat's JNDI realm authentication bypass (CVE-2026-101296) can let remote users gain access without a valid password in configurations using a non-GSSAPI SASL mechanism, potentially exposing applications and administrative functions that rely on Tomcat for access control. Because the affected deployments are limited to a non-default configuration and no public exploit has been identified at time of analysis, leadership should prioritize inventory and patching rather than assume broad immediate compromise. Fixed releases are available, so the main organizational risk is unmanaged or forgotten Tomcat instances, including end-of-life branches, remaining exposed.
Apply vendor patch: upgrade to 11.0.27, 10.1.61, or 9.0.123; migrate EOL 8.5.x/7.0.x to a supported fixed branch.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.
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EUVD-2026-105010
GHSA-5q2g-877c-9cwh
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB