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StrutsFramework / library · Apache

CVE-2013-2134

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2013-07-16
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.3.14.3 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 2.3.14.3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary OGNL code via a request with a crafted action name that is not properly handled during wildcard matching, a different vulnerability than CVE-2013-2135.

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

Apache Struts 2 before 2.3.14.3 contains an OGNL injection vulnerability where wildcard matching of action names fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input. Attackers can craft malicious action names containing arbitrary OGNL expressions that get evaluated server-side, leading to remote code execution.

MitigationUpgrade Apache Struts 2 to version 2.3.14.3 or later, which contains the patch for this vulnerability. If immediate upgrade is not possible, implement web application firewall rules to detect and block OGNL injection patterns in request 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, < 2.3.14.3

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 installed Apache Struts 2 version
    Locate the struts2-core JAR file in the application's lib directory or deployment artifact (WAR/EAR). The version is embedded in the filename (e.g., struts2-core-2.3.14.2.jar) or can be extracted by running: java -cp struts2-core-*.jar org.apache.struts2.BuildKey
    Affected if The version is 2.0.0 or higher but lower than 2.3.14.3
  2. Verify wildcard action mapping is configured
    Examine the application's struts.xml configuration file (typically in WEB-INF/classes/) for action mappings that use wildcard patterns, such as <action name="*"> or <action name="user*">
    Affected if Wildcard action patterns (using the * character) are defined in struts.xml
  3. Confirm the default action mapper accepts dynamic action names
    Check struts.xml for a custom ActionMapper implementation or examine the struts.properties file for the struts.mapper.composite property. By default, Struts2 uses the Restful2ActionMapper which processes action names from the URL
    Affected if The default Struts2 action mapper is in use (no custom ActionMapper configured) and wildcard action patterns are active
  4. Review application logs for OGNL injection attempts
    Search web server and application logs for patterns indicating OGNL injection probes, such as requests containing %{, ${, #_, or classLoader references in action name parameters
    Affected if Malicious OGNL expressions appear in recent HTTP requests targeting action names

You are affected if your Struts2 version is between 2.0.0 and 2.3.14.3 AND wildcard action mappings are configured in your struts.xml, allowing attackers to inject OGNL expressions through action names.

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 2.3.14.3 or later
Fixed in 2.3.14.3
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Apache Struts 2 to version 2.3.14.3 or later, which contains the patch for this vulnerability. If immediate upgrade is not possible, implement web application firewall rules to detect and block OGNL injection patterns in request parameters.

Recommended fix High confidence

Struts 2.3.14.3

  1. Backup your current application and configuration files
  2. Update the Struts2 core library dependencies in your build configuration (pom.xml, build.gradle, or lib directory) to version 2.3.14.3
  3. Rebuild your application with the updated dependencies
  4. Deploy the rebuilt application to your application server
  5. Restart the application server to ensure the new libraries are loaded
  6. Verify the application functions correctly with regression testing
Caveat As a security patch release, 2.3.14.3 should have minimal breaking changes; however, perform regression testing on key application workflows

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

Fix this in Struts Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,060
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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-2013-2134 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
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