CVE-2017-5638

Summary

CVECVE-2017-5638
StatePUBLISHED
Assignerapache
Source PriorityCVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback
Published2017-03-11 02:59:00 UTC
Updated2026-04-21 17:04:11 UTC
DescriptionThe Jakarta Multipart parser in Apache Struts 2 2.3.x before 2.3.32 and 2.5.x before 2.5.10.1 has incorrect exception handling and error-message generation during file-upload attempts, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via a crafted Content-Type, Content-Disposition, or Content-Length HTTP header, as exploited in the wild in March 2017 with a Content-Type header containing a #cmd= string.

Risk And Classification

Primary CVSS: v3.1 9.8 CRITICAL from [email protected]

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS: 0.999990000 probability, percentile 0.999940000 (date 2026-07-22)

CISA KEV: Listed on 2021-11-03; due 2022-05-03; ransomware use Known

Problem Types: CWE-755 | n/a | CWE-755 CWE-755 Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions


VersionSourceTypeScoreSeverityVector
3.1[email protected]Primary9.8CRITICALCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
3.1ADPDECLARED9.8CRITICALCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
3.1134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0Secondary9.8CRITICALCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
2.0[email protected]Primary10AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

CVSS v3.1 Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS v2.0 Breakdown

Access Vector
Network
Access Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerability

VendorApache
ProductStruts
NameApache Struts Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Required ActionApply updates per vendor instructions.
Noteshttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-5638

NVD Known Affected Configurations (CPE 2.3)

TypeVendorProductVersionUpdateEditionLanguage
Application Apache Struts All All All All

Vendor Declared Affected Products

SourceVendorProductVersionPlatforms
CNA Apache Software Foundation Apache Struts affected 2.3.x before 2.3.32 Not specified
CNA Apache Software Foundation Apache Struts affected 2.5.x before 2.5.10.1 Not specified

References

ReferenceSourceLinkTags
Pony Mail! af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 lists.apache.org Mailing List
Apache Struts Vulnerability Under Attack | eWEEK af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 www.eweek.com Press/Media Coverage, Third Party Advisory
Struts2 S2-045 Remote Command Execution ≈ Packet Storm af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 packetstormsecurity.com Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry, Broken Link
git1-us-west.apache.org/repos/asf af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 git1-us-west.apache.org Broken Link
S2-045 - Apache Struts 2 Documentation - Apache Software Foundation af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 cwiki.apache.org Mitigation, Vendor Advisory
Apache Struts 2.3.5 < 2.3.31 / 2.5 < 2.5.10 - Remote Code Execution af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 exploit-db.com Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
Apache Struts Jakarata Multipart Parser Bug Lets Remote Users Execute Arbitrary Commands on the Target System - SecurityTracker af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 www.securitytracker.com Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
HPE Support document - HPE Support Center af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 h20566.www2.hpe.com Broken Link
CVE-2017-5638: Apache Struts 2 Vulnerability Leads to Remote Code Execution - TrendLabs Security Intelligence Blog af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 blog.trendmicro.com Exploit, Third Party Advisory
SA145 : Apache Struts 2 RCE Vulnerability af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 www.symantec.com Broken Link
S2-046 - Apache Struts 2 Documentation - Apache Software Foundation af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 struts.apache.org Mitigation, Vendor Advisory
CVE-2017-5638 - Apache Struts2 S2-045 · Issue #8064 · rapid7/metasploit-framework · GitHub af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 github.com Exploit, Issue Tracking
Critical vulnerability under “massive” attack imperils high-impact sites [Updated] | Ars Technica af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 arstechnica.com Exploit, Press/Media Coverage
S2-045 - Apache Struts 2 Documentation - Apache Software Foundation af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 struts.apache.org Mitigation, Vendor Advisory
HPE Support document - HPE Support Center af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 h20566.www2.hpe.com Third Party Advisory
Apache Struts Open Source Framework Remote Code Execution - US af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 support.lenovo.com Third Party Advisory
Vulnerability Note VU#834067 - Apache Struts 2 is vulnerable to remote code execution af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 www.kb.cert.org Third Party Advisory, US Government Resource
www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 www.cisa.gov US Government Resource
S2-046 - Apache Struts 2 Documentation - Apache Software Foundation af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 cwiki.apache.org Mitigation, Vendor Advisory
CVE-2017-5638 Apache Struts Vulnerability in Multiple NetApp Products | NetApp Product Security af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 security.netapp.com Third Party Advisory
www.arubanetworks.com/assets/alert/ARUBA-PSA-2017-002.txt af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 www.arubanetworks.com Third Party Advisory
Pony Mail! af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 lists.apache.org Mailing List
Apache Struts CVE-2017-5638 Remote Code Execution Vulnerability af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 www.securityfocus.com Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http-vuln-cve2017-5638 NSE Script af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 nmap.org Exploit, Third Party Advisory
Cisco's Talos Intelligence Group Blog: Content-Type: Malicious - New Apache Struts2 0-day Under Attack af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 blog.talosintelligence.com Exploit, Third Party Advisory
Pony Mail! af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 lists.apache.org Mailing List
Oracle Critical Patch Update - July 2017 af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 www.oracle.com Patch, Third Party Advisory
og150 auf Twitter: "Oh dear lord no....... Surely the 'Guest Self Registration' Cisco ISE portal isn't vulnerable :-| #ApacheStruts CVE-2017-5638 https://t.co/fyhYhaWbjX" af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 twitter.com Broken Link, Third Party Advisory
git1-us-west.apache.org/repos/asf af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 git1-us-west.apache.org Broken Link
HPE Support document - HPE Support Center af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 h20566.www2.hpe.com Third Party Advisory
Apache Struts Jakarta - Multipart Parser OGNL Injection (Metasploit) af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 www.exploit-db.com Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
CVE-2017-5638: New Remote Code Execution (RCE) Vulnerability in Apache Struts 2 – Blog | Imperva af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 www.imperva.com Third Party Advisory
InfoSec Handlers Diary Blog - Critical Apache Struts 2 Vulnerability (Patch Now!) af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 isc.sans.edu Exploit, Third Party Advisory
GitHub - mazen160/struts-pwn: An exploit for Apache Struts CVE-2017-5638 af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 github.com Exploit
CONFIRM:https://git1-us-west.apache.org/repos/asf?p=struts.git;a=commit;h=352306493971e7d5a756d61780d57a76eb1f519a MITRE git1-us-west.apache.org
CONFIRM:https://git1-us-west.apache.org/repos/asf?p=struts.git;a=commit;h=6b8272ce47160036ed120a48345d9aa884477228 MITRE git1-us-west.apache.org
Pony Mail! MITRE lists.apache.org
Pony Mail! MITRE lists.apache.org
Pony Mail! MITRE lists.apache.org
CVE Program record CVE.ORG www.cve.org canonical
NVD vulnerability detail NVD nvd.nist.gov canonical, analysis
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog CISA www.cisa.gov kev

Additional Advisory Data

SourceTimeEvent
ADP2021-11-03T00:00:00.000ZCVE-2017-5638 added to CISA KEV

Legacy QID Mappings

  • 982310 Java (maven) Security Update for org.apache.struts:struts2-core (GHSA-j77q-2qqg-6989)

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