StrutsFramework / library · Apache
CVE-2016-4461
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.x before 2.3.29 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a "%{}" sequence in a tag attribute, aka forced double OGNL evaluation. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2016-0785.
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.x before 2.3.29 contains a vulnerability in its OGNL (Object-Graph Navigation Language) expression handling that allows forced double evaluation. Attackers can inject malicious '%{}' sequences in tag attributes, causing OGNL expressions to be evaluated twice and ultimately allowing remote code execution on the server. This flaw exists because the previous fix for CVE-2016-0785 was incomplete.
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
>= 2.0.0, < 2.3.29all versionsCVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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 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 or Struts library files in your application deployment and determine the exact version number from the filename or manifestAffected if The version is 2.0.0 or higher but lower than 2.3.29
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Verify Struts 2 tag usage with OGNL expressionsReview your application codebase for JSP files or templates that use Struts 2 tag attributes containing '%{}' syntax, such as <s:property value="%{expression}"/> or other tag attributes that accept OGNL expressionsAffected if The application uses Struts 2 tags with OGNL expressions in attribute values and the Struts version is in the affected range
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Check for NetApp OnCommand BalanceDetermine if NetApp OnCommand Balance software is installed in your environmentAffected if NetApp OnCommand Balance of any version is present (all versions are affected)
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Inspect Struts configuration filesExamine struts.xml and any included configuration files for action mappings and check if default OGNL expression evaluation is enabled in the Struts configurationAffected if OGNL expression evaluation is enabled in Struts configuration and the version is vulnerable
Your environment is affected if Apache Struts 2.x with version 2.0.0 through 2.3.28 is installed and your application uses Struts 2 tag attributes that accept OGNL expressions, or if NetApp OnCommand Balance is present.
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 data2.3.29
Upgrade Apache Struts to version 2.3.29 or later to remediate this vulnerability. If immediate upgrading is not possible, review and restrict inputs to tag attributes and consider deploying a WAF with OGNL injection rules as a temporary mitigation.
Fix this in Struts
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing24.0 h
- Review / QA8.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $15,232.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-4461 — 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-2016-4461 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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