CVE-2013-4286: Apache Tomcat before 6.0.39, 7.x before 7.0.47, and 8.x before 8.0.0-RC3, when an HTTP connector or AJP con...

Security readout for executives and security teams

Older Apache Tomcat versions mishandle conflicting HTTP length headers. A remote attacker could exploit this parsing mismatch to smuggle requests through affected HTTP or AJP connectors. The main business concern is hidden request handling that bypasses expected front-end controls in exposed or proxied Tomcat services. Exposure is most likely where legacy Tomcat is internet-facing, behind reverse proxies, or embedded in vendor products that bundle Tomcat. The source bundle lists downstream advisories from Red Hat, Debian, VMware, Oracle, IBM, HP, Mandriva, and Mageia, so inventory should include packaged and appliance-based Tomcat deployments. Address during near-term patching, with faster action for exposed or proxied legacy Tomcat. The lack of KEV evidence lowers emergency urgency, but request smuggling can undermine trust boundaries and may affect bundled enterprise products that are easy to overlook. Mitigation focus: Upgrade Tomcat to 6.0.39, 7.0.47, 8.0.0-RC3, or later supported releases.; Apply relevant vendor security updates for bundled or distribution-managed Tomcat packages.; Check Apache and product-vendor guidance before changing connector behavior..

Prepared

Jun 14, 2026, 14:50 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.