StrutsFramework / library · Apache
CVE-2016-4430
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 2.3.20 through 2.3.28.1 mishandles token validation, which allows remote attackers to conduct cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks via unspecified vectors.
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 2.3.20 through 2.3.28.1 fail to properly validate security tokens, allowing remote attackers to forge authenticated requests by exploiting the token validation flaw. This enables cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks where malicious requests are sent on behalf of an authenticated user without their knowledge.
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
= 2.3.20= 2.3.20.1= 2.3.20.3= 2.3.24= 2.3.24.1= 2.3.24.3= 2.3.28= 2.3.28.1CVSS 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
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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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Identify Apache Struts 2 installationLocate the struts2-core jar file in your application deployment and check its file name or manifest for the version number, or look in WEB-INF/lib directory of your deployed applicationAffected if The struts2-core version matches any of: 2.3.20, 2.3.20.1, 2.3.20.3, 2.3.24, 2.3.24.1, 2.3.24.3, 2.3.28, or 2.3.28.1
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Check application pom.xml or dependenciesReview your project's pom.xml or build configuration for the struts2-core dependency version, or check the application classpath for the Struts library versionAffected if The declared struts2-core dependency version falls within the 2.3.20 through 2.3.28.1 range
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Determine if Struts token interceptor is in useExamine your Struts action configurations in struts.xml or annotations for use of <interceptor-ref name="token"/> or @Token annotation, which enables the flawed token validationAffected if The application uses Struts token or tokenSession intercepters for CSRF protection and the Struts version is within the affected range
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Inspect web.xml for Struts filter configurationReview the web.xml deployment descriptor for the StrutsPrepareAndExecuteFilter or FilterDispatcher configuration to confirm Struts2 is handling requestsAffected if Struts2 filter is configured and the underlying library version is one of the affected versions
Your environment is affected if Apache Struts 2 with struts2-core version between 2.3.20 and 2.3.28.1 is deployed and the token interceptor is used for CSRF protection.
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 dataUpgrade Apache Struts 2 to version 2.3.29 or later, which contains the security patch for proper token validation. Alternatively, implement supplementary CSRF protections such as SameSite cookie attributes, custom request headers, or double-submit cookie patterns as defense-in-depth.
Fix this in Struts
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,416.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-4430 — 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-2016-4430 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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