StrutsFramework / library · Apache
CVE-2011-5057
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 · uneditedApache Struts 2.3.1.2 and earlier, 2.3.19-2.3.23, provides interfaces that do not properly restrict access to collections such as the session and request collections, which might allow remote attackers to modify run-time data values via a crafted parameter to an application that implements an affected interface, as demonstrated by the SessionAware, RequestAware, ApplicationAware, ServletRequestAware, ServletResponseAware, and ParameterAware interfaces. NOTE: the vendor disputes the significance of this report because of an "easy work-around in existing apps by configuring the interceptor."
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 confidenceApache Struts 2 versions 2.3.1.2 and earlier, 2.3.19-2.3.23 contain interfaces (SessionAware, RequestAware, ApplicationAware, ServletRequestAware, ServletResponseAware, ParameterAware) that insufficiently restrict access to collections such as session and request objects, allowing remote attackers to manipulate run-time data through crafted HTTP parameters.
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
>= 2.0.0, < 2.3.3CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/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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Determine installed Struts 2 versionCheck the struts2-core JAR file manifest or version file in your deployed application lib directory, or look for version info in pom.xml or build.gradle if using a build systemAffected if The installed version is 2.3.1.2 or earlier, OR between 2.3.19 and 2.3.23 inclusive, OR any version >= 2.0.0 but < 2.3.3
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Identify actions implementing vulnerable interfacesSearch your codebase for Java action classes that implement any of these interfaces: SessionAware, RequestAware, ApplicationAware, ServletRequestAware, ServletResponseAware, ParameterAwareAffected if Any action class implements one or more of these interfaces and the application uses default parameter interception
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Check Struts configuration for parameter interceptorExamine your struts.xml or struts-default.xml for the default parameter interceptor stack. Look for whether the params interceptor is in the interceptor stack without proper access restrictionsAffected if The params interceptor is in the interceptor stack without whitelisted parameter names or proper access restrictions to prevent manipulation of collection objects
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Verify if actions have setters exposing collectionsReview action classes implementing the vulnerable interfaces for public setter methods that expose session, request, or application scoped objectsAffected if Action classes have public setter methods that allow direct access to session, request, or application map objects through HTTP parameters
Your environment is affected if you are running Struts 2 version 2.0.0 through 2.3.1.2, or 2.3.19 through 2.3.23, AND your application has action classes implementing the vulnerable interfaces with default parameter interceptor configuration.
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 data2.3.3
Implement the vendor-recommended interceptor configuration work-around to restrict parameter access to sensitive collections, or upgrade to a patched Struts 2 version beyond 2.3.23.
Fix this in Struts
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,664.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2011-5057 — 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-2011-5057 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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