StrutsFramework / library · Apache
CVE-2023-41835
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 · uneditedWhen a Multipart request is performed but some of the fields exceed the maxStringLength limit, the upload files will remain in struts.multipart.saveDir even if the request has been denied. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions Struts 2.5.32 or 6.1.2.2 or Struts 6.3.0.1 or greater, which fixe this issue.
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 confidenceIn Apache Struts, when a Multipart request contains fields that exceed the configured maxStringLength limit, the request is denied but the uploaded files persist in the struts.multipart.saveDir directory instead of being cleaned up. This creates a denial-of-service condition through disk space exhaustion and potential file system exposure.
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, < 2.5.32>= 6.1.2.1, < 6.3.0.1CVSS 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
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 the installed Struts versionLocate the Struts JAR file (typically struts2-core-x.x.x.jar) in your application classpath or build dependencies, and note the version number.Affected if The version falls within 2.0.0 to 2.5.31, or 6.1.2.1 to 6.3.0.0.
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Confirm multipart file upload is enabledInspect your struts.xml configuration for the constant struts.multipart.saveDir and any <action> configurations with type=upload or using fileUpload interceptor. Alternatively, check for @StrutsParameter(maxStringLength) or @StrutsFileUpload annotations in action classes.Affected if Multipart handling is enabled and the application accepts file uploads.
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Determine if maxStringLength is configuredSearch your struts.xml, struts.properties, or web.xml for the setting struts.multipart.maxStringLength or the constant maxStringLength.Affected if maxStringLength is explicitly set to a finite value, which triggers the flawed cleanup logic when exceeded.
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Inspect the multipart save directory for leftover filesLocate the directory specified by struts.multipart.saveDir (default is typically java.io.tmpdir or WEB-INF/tmp). Use file system tools to list any .tmp or uploaded files that persist after failed requests.Affected if You observe uploaded files remaining in the directory after requests are rejected due to exceeding maxStringLength, indicating cleanup is failing.
You are affected if you run an affected Struts version (2.0.0-2.5.31 or 6.1.2.1-6.3.0.0) with multipart upload enabled and maxStringLength configured, and uploaded files persist in the saveDir after request rejection.
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.
dbcve · scoped2.5.326.3.0.1
Upgrade to Apache Struts version 2.5.32, 6.1.2.2, 6.3.0.1 or greater to receive the patch that properly cleans up uploaded files when requests are denied due to maxStringLength limits.
Struts 2.5.32 or Struts 6.3.0.1 (or 6.1.2.2 for the 6.1.x line)
- 1. Backup your current application and configuration files
- 2. Locate the Struts dependency configuration in your project (pom.xml, build.gradle, or lib folder)
- 3. Update the Struts version to 2.5.32 (for Struts 2.x) or 6.3.0.1 (for Struts 6.x) or 6.1.2.2 as appropriate
- 4. Rebuild the application with the updated dependency
- 5. Test the multipart request functionality to ensure proper file cleanup behavior
- 6. Deploy the rebuilt application to your environment
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Struts
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,864.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-41835 — 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-2023-41835 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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