# CVE-2018-12536: Eclipse Jetty Server generates error message containing sensitive information

> Attackers can trigger an exception to reveal the full server file path via the default error handler in Eclipse Jetty.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 27 Jun 2018
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** CLEANSTART-2026-FP59456, DEBIAN-CVE-2018-12536, GHSA-9rgv-h7x4-qw8g, UBUNTU-CVE-2018-12536

## What is CVE-2018-12536?

CVE-2018-12536 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Eclipse Jetty, published on 27 Jun 2018. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In Eclipse Jetty Server, all 9.x versions, on webapps deployed using default Error Handling, when an intentionally bad query arrives that doesn't match a dynamic url-pattern, and is eventually handled by the DefaultServlet's static file serving, the bad characters can trigger a java.nio.file.InvalidPathException which includes the full path to the base resource directory that the DefaultServlet and/or webapp is using. If this InvalidPathException is then handled by the default Error Handler, the InvalidPathException message is included in the error response, revealing the full server path to the requesting system.

Weakness: CWE-209 (Generation of Error Message Containing Sensitive Information)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-12536?

4 open source packages ship an affected version, including org.eclipse.jetty:jetty-server. It affects 2 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `org.eclipse.jetty:jetty-server` | Maven | From 9.0.0 | 9.3.24.v20180605 |
| `org.eclipse.jetty:jetty-server` | Maven | From 9.0.0 | 9.3.24.v20180605 |
| `org.eclipse.jetty:jetty-server` | Maven | From 9.4.0 | 9.4.11.v20180605 |
| `org.eclipse.jetty:jetty-server` | Maven | From 9.4.0 | 9.4.11.v20180605 |

Products: Eclipse Jetty, Oracle Retail Xstore Point of Service.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-12536?

Upgrade org.eclipse.jetty:jetty-server to a fixed version for your release line: 9.3.24.v20180605 or 9.4.11.v20180605.

## Is CVE-2018-12536 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-12536 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Eclipse Jetty

- [CVE-2016-4800](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-4800/): Jetty contains an alias issue that could allow unauthenticated remote code execution due to specially crafted request (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2019-17638](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-17638/): Operation on a Resource after Expiration or Release in Jetty Server (critical 9.4)
- [CVE-2018-12538](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-12538/): Access and integrity issue within Eclipse Jetty (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2026-10050](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-10050/): Digest authentication lossy encoding (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2025-5115](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-5115/): MadeYouReset HTTP/2 vulnerability (high 7.7)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-12536 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-12536 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Eclipse Jetty, published on 27 Jun 2018. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-12536 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- org.eclipse.jetty:jetty-server (Maven): affected from 9.0.0; fixed in 9.3.24.v20180605
- org.eclipse.jetty:jetty-server (Maven): affected from 9.0.0; fixed in 9.3.24.v20180605
- org.eclipse.jetty:jetty-server (Maven): affected from 9.4.0; fixed in 9.4.11.v20180605
- org.eclipse.jetty:jetty-server (Maven): affected from 9.4.0; fixed in 9.4.11.v20180605

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-2018-12536/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-12536/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-12536
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-12536
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-12536

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-12536/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.