CVE-2025-48989 is a vulnerability categorized as CWE-404 (Improper Resource Shutdown or Release) found in the Apache Tomcat server, a widely used open-source Java servlet container. The flaw exists in versions 9.0.0.M1 through 9.0.107, 10.1.0-M1 through 10.1.43, and 11.0.0-M1 through 11.0.9. It allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to exploit improper handling of resource shutdown within the server, leading to a denial of service (DoS) condition. Specifically, the vulnerability arises when Tomcat fails to correctly release or shut down resources such as threads, connections, or internal objects during certain operations, which can be manipulated to exhaust server resources. The CVSS v3.1 score of 7.5 reflects a high severity due to the network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), and no user interaction (UI:N). The impact is limited to availability (A:H), with no direct confidentiality or integrity compromise. The vulnerability is known as the 'made you reset' attack, implying forced resets or crashes of the Tomcat service. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the widespread use of Tomcat in enterprise and web environments makes this a significant risk. The Apache Software Foundation has released patched versions 9.0.108, 10.1.44, and 11.0.10 to address the issue, and users are urged to upgrade immediately. The vulnerability affects both current and some older EOL versions, emphasizing the need for timely patch management. Given Tomcat's role in hosting critical web applications, exploitation could disrupt business operations and service availability.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-48989 is the potential for denial of service attacks against web servers and applications running on Apache Tomcat. This can lead to unavailability of critical services, affecting sectors such as finance, government, healthcare, and e-commerce that rely heavily on Tomcat-based infrastructure. Disruptions could result in operational downtime, loss of customer trust, and financial losses. Since the vulnerability does not affect confidentiality or integrity, data breaches are unlikely; however, service outages can indirectly impact business continuity and compliance with service-level agreements (SLAs). The ease of exploitation without authentication or user interaction increases the risk of widespread attacks, especially in environments exposed to the internet. European organizations with limited patch management capabilities or those running outdated Tomcat versions are at higher risk. Additionally, denial of service attacks could be leveraged as part of larger multi-vector campaigns targeting critical infrastructure or government services, exacerbating the impact.

1. Immediately upgrade Apache Tomcat to the fixed versions 9.0.108, 10.1.44, or 11.0.10 as recommended by the Apache Software Foundation. 2. Conduct an inventory of all Tomcat instances across the organization, including development, testing, and production environments, to ensure no vulnerable versions remain in use. 3. Implement network-level protections such as Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) and Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS) to monitor and block anomalous traffic patterns that could trigger resource exhaustion. 4. Monitor server resource utilization (CPU, memory, thread counts) closely to detect early signs of exploitation attempts or abnormal shutdowns. 5. Enforce strict access controls and segmentation to limit exposure of Tomcat servers to untrusted networks, reducing the attack surface. 6. Review and harden Tomcat configuration settings to minimize unnecessary resource consumption and improve resilience against DoS conditions. 7. Establish incident response procedures specifically for service outages related to Tomcat to enable rapid recovery and mitigation. 8. Regularly update and patch all software dependencies and underlying operating systems to reduce the risk of chained exploits.