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StrutsFramework / library · Apache

CVE-2016-4438

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2016-07-04
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
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
The REST plugin in Apache Struts 2 2.3.19 through 2.3.28.1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted expression.

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 REST plugin versions 2.3.19 through 2.3.28.1 contains an OGNL (Object-Graph Navigation Language) injection vulnerability that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary operating system commands by submitting crafted expression syntax in REST plugin requests.

MitigationUpgrade Apache Struts 2 to version 2.3.29 or later which contains the patched REST plugin. If the REST plugin is not required, it should be removed from the deployment.

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:= 2.3.20= 2.3.20.1= 2.3.20.3= 2.3.24= 2.3.24.1= 2.3.24.3= 2.3.28

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
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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 checks

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

  1. Identify Struts 2 version
    Locate the struts2-core jar file in your deployment (typically in WEB-INF/lib) and check its filename which contains the version number, or inspect the manifest file inside the jar. Alternatively, check your dependency management file (pom.xml, build.gradle) if you have source access.
    Affected if The version is any of: 2.3.20, 2.3.20.1, 2.3.20.3, 2.3.24, 2.3.24.1, 2.3.24.3, or 2.3.28 (or falls within 2.3.19-2.3.28.1 range)
  2. Verify REST plugin is deployed
    Search for the struts2-rest-plugin.jar file in your application's WEB-INF/lib directory or in the classpath of your deployment.
    Affected if The struts2-rest-plugin.jar file exists in your deployment
  3. Confirm REST plugin is configured
    Inspect your struts.xml configuration file (typically in WEB-INF/classes) and look for any <package> declarations that extend the rest-default namespace or explicitly include the REST plugin configuration.
    Affected if The REST plugin is explicitly configured or included in your Struts configuration
  4. Check REST handler mappings
    Examine your web.xml file and look for any Struts filter mappings that handle REST-style URLs, or check if any action URLs in your application use REST patterns (such as .xml, .json extensions handled by the REST plugin).
    Affected if Your application routes requests through the REST plugin's content handlers

You are affected if your Struts 2 version falls within 2.3.19 through 2.3.28.1 AND the REST plugin is deployed and actively handling requests in your environment.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade Apache Struts 2 to version 2.3.29 or later which contains the patched REST plugin. If the REST plugin is not required, it should be removed from the deployment.

Recommended fix High confidence

Struts 2.3.29 or later (or migrate to Struts 2.5.x stable release)

  1. 1. Identify all instances running Apache Struts 2 with the REST plugin enabled.
  2. 2. Determine current Struts version by inspecting struts2-core.jar manifest or pom.xml dependencies.
  3. 3. If running version 2.3.20, 2.3.20.1, 2.3.20.3, 2.3.24, or any version from 2.3.19 through 2.3.28.1 that includes the REST plugin, plan for upgrade.
  4. 4. Backup all application configurations, WAR files, and deployment descriptors before proceeding.
  5. 5. Upgrade Struts 2 library to version 2.3.29 or later (recommended: latest stable 2.3.x or 2.5.x series).
  6. 6. Update struts2-rest-plugin.jar to the matching version.
  7. 7. Rebuild and redeploy the application.
  8. 8. Restart application servers and clear caches.
Caveat Minor: Review REST plugin configuration changes between 2.3.x and 2.5.x as namespace and content-type handling may differ; test thoroughly before production deployment

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

Fix this in Struts Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,760
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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-2016-4438 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data