# CVE-2002-2272: Apache Tomcat DoS via Malicious Get Request

> Remote attackers can cause denial of service in Tomcat via Apache mod_jk by sending malformed chunked HTTP requests.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 18 Oct 2007
- **Updated:** 8 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-pqr5-9v2j-44xg

## What is CVE-2002-2272?

CVE-2002-2272 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in Apache Http Server, published on 18 Oct 2007. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Tomcat 4.0 through 4.1.12, using mod_jk 1.2.1 module on Apache 1.3 through 1.3.27, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (desynchronized communications) via an HTTP GET request with a Transfer-Encoding chunked field with invalid values.

Weakness: CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2002-2272?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including org.apache.tomcat:tomcat. It affects 2 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `org.apache.tomcat:tomcat` | Maven | From 4.0.0 to 4.1.12 | None |
| `org.apache.tomcat:tomcat` | Maven | From 4.0.0 to 4.1.12 | None |

Products: Apache Http Server, Apache Tomcat.

## How do I fix CVE-2002-2272?

No fix has been published for CVE-2002-2272 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2002-2272 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2002-2272 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Apache 1.3.x + Tomcat 4.0.x/4.1.x mod_jk - Chunked Encoding Denial of Service (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in Apache Http Server

- [CVE-2021-42013](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-42013/): Apache HTTP Server Path Traversal (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-38475](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38475/): Apache HTTP Server Improper Escaping of Output (critical 9.1, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-40438](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-40438/): Apache HTTP Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) (critical 9.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2019-0211](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-0211/): Apache HTTP Server Privilege Escalation (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-41773](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-41773/): Apache HTTP Server Path Traversal (high 7.5, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2002-2272 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2002-2272 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in Apache Http Server, published on 18 Oct 2007. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2002-2272 exists.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- org.apache.tomcat:tomcat (Maven): affected from 4.0.0 up to 4.1.12; no fix listed
- org.apache.tomcat:tomcat (Maven): affected from 4.0.0 up to 4.1.12; no fix listed

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2002-2272/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2002-2272/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2002-2272
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2002-2272
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2002-2272

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2002-2272/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.