Summary
Versions Affected:
Apache Tomcat 11.0.0-M1 to 11.0.21
Apache Tomcat 10.1.0-M1 to 10.1.54
Apache Tomcat 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.117
Older, unsupported versions may also be affected
Description:
HTTP/2 request headers were not validated which may have triggered
unexpected application behaviour if the application (quite reasonably)
assumed that header value exposed through the Servlet API would be
specification compliant.
Mitigation:
Users of the affected versions should apply one of the following
mitigations:
- Upgrade to Apache Tomcat 11.0.22 or later
- Upgrade to Apache Tomcat 10.1.55 or later
- Upgrade to Apache Tomcat 9.0.118 or later
Credit:
This issue was identified by Dawit Jeong (@dawitngoliath)
Impact
The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths. Typical impact: varies by context: data corruption, logic bypass, or denial of service.
CVE-2026-41293 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical). 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 (9.0.118, 10.1.55, 11.0.22); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
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. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Remediation advice
org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core to 9.0.118 or later; org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core to 10.1.55 or later; org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core to 11.0.22 or later; org.apache.tomcat:tomcat to 9.0.118 or later; org.apache.tomcat:tomcat to 10.1.55 or later; org.apache.tomcat:tomcat to 11.0.22 or later; org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina to 9.0.118 or later; org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina to 10.1.55 or later; org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina to 11.0.22 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-41293? CVE-2026-41293 is a critical-severity improper input validation vulnerability in org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core (maven), affecting versions < 9.0.118. It is fixed in 9.0.118, 10.1.55, 11.0.22. The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths.
- How severe is CVE-2026-41293? CVE-2026-41293 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical). 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.
- Which packages are affected by CVE-2026-41293?
org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-core(maven) (versions < 9.0.118)org.apache.tomcat:tomcat(maven) (versions < 9.0.118)org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalina(maven) (versions < 9.0.118)
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-41293? Yes. CVE-2026-41293 is fixed in 9.0.118, 10.1.55, 11.0.22. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-41293 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-41293 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
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-41293 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.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-41293?
- Upgrade
org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-coreto 9.0.118 or later - Upgrade
org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-coreto 10.1.55 or later - Upgrade
org.apache.tomcat.embed:tomcat-embed-coreto 11.0.22 or later - Upgrade
org.apache.tomcat:tomcatto 9.0.118 or later - Upgrade
org.apache.tomcat:tomcatto 10.1.55 or later - Upgrade
org.apache.tomcat:tomcatto 11.0.22 or later - Upgrade
org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalinato 9.0.118 or later - Upgrade
org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalinato 10.1.55 or later - Upgrade
org.apache.tomcat:tomcat-catalinato 11.0.22 or later
- Upgrade