CVE-2023-24998

Apache Commons FileUpload before 1.5 does not limit the number of request parts to be processed resulting in the possibility of an attacker triggering a DoS with a malicious upload or series of uploads. Note that, like all of the file upload limits, the new configuration option (FileUploadBase#setFileCountMax) is not enabled by default and must be explicitly configured.

The application allocates resources such as memory, threads, or file descriptors based on untrusted input without enforcing a cap. Typical impact: resource exhaustion leading to denial of service.

CVE-2023-24998 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (1.5, 10.1.5, 11.0.0-M5, 8.5.88, 9.0.71); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is CVE-2023-24998? CVE-2023-24998 is a high-severity allocation of resources without limits or throttling vulnerability in commons-fileupload:commons-fileupload (maven), affecting versions < 1.5. It is fixed in 1.5, 10.1.5, 11.0.0-M5, 8.5.88, 9.0.71. The application allocates resources such as memory, threads, or file descriptors based on untrusted input without enforcing a cap.
2. How severe is CVE-2023-24998? CVE-2023-24998 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which packages are affected by CVE-2023-24998?
   • commons-fileupload:commons-fileupload (maven) (versions < 1.5)
   • org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote (maven) (versions >= 10.1.0-M1, < 10.1.5)
   • org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core (maven) (versions >= 10.1.0-M1, < 10.1.5)
   • org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina (maven) (versions >= 10.1.0-M1, < 10.1.5)
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2023-24998? Yes. CVE-2023-24998 is fixed in 1.5, 10.1.5, 11.0.0-M5, 8.5.88, 9.0.71. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2023-24998 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-24998 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2023-24998 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2023-24998?
   • Upgrade commons-fileupload:commons-fileupload to 1.5 or later
   • Upgrade org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote to 10.1.5 or later
   • Upgrade org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote to 11.0.0-M5 or later
   • Upgrade org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote to 8.5.88 or later
   • Upgrade org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-coyote to 9.0.71 or later
   • Upgrade org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core to 10.1.5 or later
   • Upgrade org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core to 11.0.0-M5 or later
   • Upgrade org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core to 8.5.88 or later
   • Upgrade org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core to 9.0.71 or later
   • Upgrade org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina to 10.1.5 or later
   • Upgrade org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina to 11.0.0-M5 or later
   • Upgrade org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina to 8.5.88 or later
   • Upgrade org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina to 9.0.71 or later