StrutsFramework / library · Apache
CVE-2008-6505
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedMultiple directory traversal vulnerabilities in Apache Struts 2.0.x before 2.0.12 and 2.1.x before 2.1.3 allow remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a ..%252f (encoded dot dot slash) in a URI with a /struts/ path, related to (1) FilterDispatcher in 2.0.x and (2) DefaultStaticContentLoader in 2.1.x.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceMultiple directory traversal vulnerabilities in Apache Struts 2.0.x before 2.0.12 and 2.1.x before 2.1.3 allow remote attackers to read arbitrary files via double-encoded path traversal sequences (..%252f) in URIs with /struts/ path, affecting FilterDispatcher in 2.0.x and DefaultStaticContentLoader in 2.1.x.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
StrutsFramework / library
= 2.0.6= 2.0.8= 2.0.9= 2.0.11= 2.0.11.1= 2.0.11.2= 2.1.2_betaCVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Struts 2 versionLocate the struts2-core JAR file in your application library directory (such as WEB-INF/lib) and check its manifest file, or inspect the pom.xml or build configuration for the Struts version number.Affected if The installed version is 2.0.6, 2.0.8, 2.0.9, 2.0.11, 2.0.11.1, 2.0.11.2, or 2.1.2_beta, or any version in the 2.0.x series before 2.0.12, or any version in the 2.1.x series before 2.1.3.
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Confirm Struts 2.0.x FilterDispatcher usageExamine the web.xml deployment descriptor file for a filter definition with class org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.FilterDispatcher configured, which handles incoming requests.Affected if FilterDispatcher is configured and the Struts version is 2.0.x before 2.0.12.
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Confirm Struts 2.1.x static content loaderExamine the struts.xml or struts.properties configuration file for the constant struts.serve.static set to true, or check for DefaultStaticContentLoader bean configuration.Affected if Static content serving is enabled and the Struts version is 2.1.x before 2.1.3.
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Verify /struts/ path is accessibleTest whether the web application exposes the /struts/ path by attempting to access a known static resource through that path (such as /struts/..%252f../WEB-INF/web.xml or similar), or review URL mappings in web.xml.Affected if The /struts/ path is reachable and the Struts version falls within the affected range.
You are affected if your Apache Struts 2 installation is version 2.0.x before 2.0.12 or 2.1.x before 2.1.3 and the /struts/ path with FilterDispatcher (2.0.x) or static content loading (2.1.x) is enabled and accessible.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpgrade to Apache Struts 2.0.12 or later (for 2.0.x) or 2.1.3 or later (for 2.1.x), or apply relevant vendor security patches.
Fix this in Struts
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $9,408.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2008-6505 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2008-6505 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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