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StrutsFramework / library · Apache

CVE-2013-2135

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
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 value that contains both "${}" and "%{}" sequences, which causes the OGNL code to be evaluated twice.

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 (Object-Graph Navigation Language) injection vulnerability in Apache Struts 2 before 2.3.14.3. The flaw allows remote code execution when user-supplied input contains both '${}' and '%{}' sequences, causing OGNL expressions to be evaluated twice in sequence and bypassing single-evaluation security controls.

MitigationUpgrade Apache Struts 2 to version 2.3.14.3 or later to patch the double-evaluation vulnerability. Alternatively, implement input validation and web application firewall rules to block requests containing OGNL metacharacters.

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 Apache Struts 2 usage
    Search for Struts 2 JAR files in the application deployment (look for struts2-core-*.jar in WEB-INF/lib) or check application configuration files (struts.xml, web.xml for Struts 2 filters)
    Affected if Apache Struts 2 framework is present in the application
  2. Determine installed Struts 2 version
    Check the struts2-core JAR file name for the version number (e.g., struts2-core-2.3.14.2.jar), or inspect the manifest file inside the JAR, or query the application if it exposes version information
    Affected if The version is 2.0.0 or higher but lower than 2.3.14.3
  3. Verify the double-evaluation vulnerability condition
    Review application code and templates (JSP, FreeMarker, Velocity) for usage of both '%{}' and '${}' OGNL expression syntax in user-controllable parameters; these sequences trigger the double evaluation when present together in input
    Affected if The application accepts user input that can contain both '%{}' and '${}' sequences and passes them to OGNL evaluation without sanitization
  4. Check for exposed OGNL evaluation points
    Analyze Struts 2 action parameters and result types that process user-supplied values through OGNL; examine whether the application uses parameters that get evaluated as OGNL expressions (common in dynamic method invocation or wildcard mappings)
    Affected if User-supplied parameters can reach OGNL evaluation contexts without proper escaping

The environment is affected if Apache Struts 2 version is between 2.0.0 and 2.3.14.2 (inclusive) AND the application accepts user input containing both '${}' and '%{}' character sequences that flow into OGNL evaluation.

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 to patch the double-evaluation vulnerability. Alternatively, implement input validation and web application firewall rules to block requests containing OGNL metacharacters.

Recommended fix High confidence

2.3.14.3

  1. 1. Backup your current Struts 2 application and configuration files.
  2. 2. Identify all Struts 2 library JAR files in your application (typically in WEB-INF/lib directory).
  3. 3. Remove all Struts 2 JAR files with versions before 2.3.14.3.
  4. 4. Obtain Struts 2 version 2.3.14.3 or later from the Apache Struts repository (struts.apache.org).
  5. 5. Add the new Struts 2 core JAR (struts2-core-2.3.14.3.jar) to your WEB-INF/lib directory.
  6. 6. Ensure all other Struts 2 dependent JARs are also compatible with version 2.3.14.3.
  7. 7. Rebuild and redeploy your application.
  8. 8. Test the application functionality to verify the upgrade does not break existing features.
Caveat Upgrading Struts versions may introduce incompatibilities with existing plugins, custom interceptors, or OGNL expressions in your application

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

Fix this in Struts Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
30.0 hours of engineering $5,280
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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-2013-2135 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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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