CVE-2020-8379 is a vulnerability that was identified in February 2020. The flaw lies in the way certain versions of Apache Tomcat handle HTTP/2 requests. If exploited, an attacker could potentially cause a denial-of-service (DoS) attack, which would result in the server being unavailable to users. CVE-2020-8379 affects Apache Tomcat versions 10.0.0-M1 to 10.0.0, 9.0.0.M1 to 9.0.34, and 8.5.0 to 8.5.54.
The issue was caused by the improper handling of excessive headers in HTTP/2 requests. In particular, when an excessively large number of headers were included in a request, Apache Tomcat would enter into an infinite loop, resulting in a DoS condition. To mitigate the vulnerability, Apache Tomcat developers have recommended updating to version 10.0.0-M2 or later, 9.0.35 or later, or 8.5.55 or later.
Overall, the CVE-2020-8379 vulnerability highlights the importance of regularly updating software to ensure that the latest security patches are applied. Failure to do so can leave systems vulnerable to attackers who exploit known vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security measures, such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems, to detect and prevent attacks.