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StrutsFramework / library · Apache

CVE-2013-1966

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 2 before 2.3.14.2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary OGNL code via a crafted request that is not properly handled when using the includeParams attribute in the (1) URL or (2) A tag.

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

OGNL injection vulnerability in Apache Struts 2 where the includeParams attribute in URL and A tags fails to properly sanitize user input, allowing remote attackers to inject and execute arbitrary OGNL expressions leading to remote code execution.

MitigationUpgrade Apache Struts 2 to version 2.3.14.2 or later which contains the patch for this vulnerability.

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

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 Apache Struts 2 version
    Locate the struts2-core jar file in your application lib directory (e.g., WEB-INF/lib/) and check its version. Alternatively, inspect the pom.xml dependency or the MANIFEST.MF file inside struts2-core.jar for the Implementation-Version attribute.
    Affected if The installed version is 2.0.0 or higher but lower than 2.3.14.1
  2. Find URL tags using includeParams
    Search JSP and template files for the <s:url> or <s:a> tag with includeParams attribute present. Use a text search for 'includeParams=' across your view files (e.g., grep -r "includeParams" *.jsp or similar).
    Affected if Any <s:url> or <s:a> tag contains the includeParams attribute set to any value (such as 'get', 'all', or 'none').
  3. Inspect the includeParams configuration value
    If includeParams is used, examine the specific value assigned. Check the JSP or FreeMarker/Velocity templates where the tag is defined and note whether it accepts user-controlled input in the URL query parameters.
    Affected if includeParams is set to 'get' or 'all', allowing URL parameters to be processed through OGNL expression evaluation.

Your environment is affected if Apache Struts 2 version is between 2.0.0 and 2.3.14.1 AND your application uses the includeParams attribute in URL or A tags with user-supplied input.

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 2.3.14.2 or later which contains the patch for this vulnerability.

Recommended fix High confidence

Struts 2.3.14.2 or later (recommended: latest stable 2.3.x or 2.5.x release)

  1. Identify the current Struts 2 version by checking the struts2-core JAR file in your application
  2. Download Struts 2.3.14.2 or a later stable release from the Apache Struts repository (archive.apache.org or official download mirrors)
  3. Replace the existing struts2-core JAR file and any other Struts 2 library JARs in your application's WEB-INF/lib directory with the new versions
  4. Review the release notes for any breaking changes between your current version and the target version
  5. Rebuild and test your application in a staging environment, specifically testing any functionality using the includeParams attribute in URL or A tags
  6. Deploy the updated application to production
Caveat Review release notes - OGNL expression handling changes may affect custom code relying on expression evaluation

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

Fix this in Struts Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
25.0 hours of engineering $4,220
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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-2013-1966 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
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