Vulnerability Database

352,427

Total vulnerabilities in the database

CVE-2023-41081 — apache / tomcat_connectors

Important: Authentication Bypass CVE-2023-41081

The mod_jk component of Apache Tomcat Connectors in some circumstances, such as when a configuration included "JkOptions +ForwardDirectories" but the configuration did not provide explicit mounts for all possible proxied requests, mod_jk would use an implicit mapping and map the request to the first defined worker. Such an implicit mapping could result in the unintended exposure of the status worker and/or bypass security constraints configured in httpd. As of JK 1.2.49, the implicit mapping functionality has been removed and all mappings must now be via explicit configuration. Only mod_jk is affected by this issue. The ISAPI redirector is not affected.

This issue affects Apache Tomcat Connectors (mod_jk only): from 1.2.0 through 1.2.48.

Users are recommended to upgrade to version 1.2.49, which fixes the issue.

History 2023-09-13 Original advisory

2023-09-28 Updated summary

  • Published: Sep 13, 2023
  • Updated: Nov 16, 2025
  • CVE: CVE-2023-41081
  • Severity: High
  • Exploit:
  • CISA KEV:

CVSS v3:

  • Severity: High
  • Score: 7.5
  • AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

No CWE or OWASP classifications available.

Frequently Asked Questions

A security vulnerability is a weakness in software, hardware, or configuration that can be exploited to compromise confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Many vulnerabilities are tracked as CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), which provide a standardized identifier so teams can coordinate patching, mitigation, and risk assessment across tools and vendors.

CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) estimates technical severity, but it doesn't automatically equal business risk. Prioritize using context like internet exposure, affected asset criticality, known exploitation (proof-of-concept or in-the-wild), and whether compensating controls exist. A "Medium" CVSS on an exposed, production system can be more urgent than a "Critical" on an isolated, non-production host.

A vulnerability is the underlying weakness. An exploit is the method or code used to take advantage of it. A zero-day is a vulnerability that is unknown to the vendor or has no publicly available fix when attackers begin using it. In practice, risk increases sharply when exploitation becomes reliable or widespread.

Recurring findings usually come from incomplete Asset Discovery, inconsistent patch management, inherited images, and configuration drift. In modern environments, you also need to watch the software supply chain: dependencies, containers, build pipelines, and third-party services can reintroduce the same weakness even after you patch a single host. Unknown or unmanaged assets (often called Shadow IT) are a common reason the same issues resurface.

Use a simple, repeatable triage model: focus first on externally exposed assets, high-value systems (identity, VPN, email, production), vulnerabilities with known exploits, and issues that enable remote code execution or privilege escalation. Then enforce patch SLAs and track progress using consistent metrics so remediation is steady, not reactive.

SynScan combines attack surface monitoring and continuous security auditing to keep your inventory current, flag high-impact vulnerabilities early, and help you turn raw findings into a practical remediation plan.