dbcve.org
StrutsFramework / library · Apache

CVE-2013-1965

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2013-07-10
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.3.14.1 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
High EPSS Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
Apache Struts Showcase App 2.0.0 through 2.3.13, as used in Struts 2 before 2.3.14.3, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary OGNL code via a crafted parameter name that is not properly handled when invoking a redirect.

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 confidence

This is an OGNL (Object-Graph Navigation Language) injection vulnerability in Apache Struts 2 before version 2.3.14.3. Attackers can execute arbitrary code by sending crafted parameter names that are improperly sanitized during redirect action processing, leading to remote code execution on the affected server.

MitigationUpgrade Apache Struts 2 to version 2.3.14.3 or later. If immediate upgrading is not feasible, remove or disable the Struts Showcase application and implement web application firewall rules to detect and block OGNL injection patterns in 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
Affected:>= 2.0.0, < 2.3.14.1
Struts2 ShowcaseFramework / library
Affected:>= 2.0.0, <= 2.3.13

CVSS 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
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

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

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the Struts 2 version in use
    Locate the struts2-core.jar file in the application's lib directory or WEB-INF/lib folder, then check the file version or examine the JAR manifest for the exact version number.
    Affected if The installed struts2-core version is 2.0.0 or higher but lower than 2.3.14.1
  2. Check for the Struts2 Showcase application
    Search the application deployment directory (such as the webapps folder) for struts2-showcase.war or a struts2-showcase directory.
    Affected if The Struts2 Showcase application is deployed and its version is between 2.0.0 and 2.3.13 inclusive
  3. Review redirect action configurations
    Examine the struts.xml configuration file(s) for any <result> definitions with type="redirect" or type="redirectAction", which represent the vulnerable code path.
    Affected if Redirect or redirectAction results are configured in struts.xml and the Struts 2 version is within the affected range

Your environment is affected if Apache Struts 2 (core or Showcase) with version 2.0.0 or higher but below 2.3.14.1 is installed and redirect action configurations are in use.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2.3.14.1 or later
Fixed in 2.3.14.1
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Apache Struts 2 to version 2.3.14.3 or later. If immediate upgrading is not feasible, remove or disable the Struts Showcase application and implement web application firewall rules to detect and block OGNL injection patterns in parameters.

Recommended fix High confidence

Struts 2.3.14.3 or later

  1. Download Apache Struts 2.3.14.3 or later from the official Apache Struts website (struts.apache.org)
  2. Replace the vulnerable struts2-core JAR file in your application with the fixed version (2.3.14.3 or later)
  3. If using the Struts2 Showcase app, replace struts2-showcase.war with the fixed version
  4. Redeploy the updated application to your application server
  5. Restart the application server to ensure the new library is loaded
  6. Verify the application functions correctly and test that OGNL expression injection is no longer possible
Caveat Security patch release; minimal breaking changes expected but thorough testing recommended

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Struts Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,120
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,992.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2013-1965 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2013-1965 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data