The REST Plugin in Apache Struts 2.1.1 through 2.3.x before 2.3.34 and 2.5.x before 2.5.13 uses an XStreamHandler with an instance of XStrea
The REST Plugin in Apache Struts 2.1.1 through 2.3.x before 2.3.34 and 2.5.x before 2.5.13 uses an XStreamHandler with an instance of XStream for deserialization without any type filtering, which can lead to Remote Code Execution when deserializing XML payloads.
- Published
- Sep 15, 2017
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 99.4% · 100th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-502
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Report tools
Action score
92
Now
Patch today or shut off access.
- CVSS
- 32 / 40 · 8.1 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 30 / 30 · Listed
- EPSS
- 30 / 30 · 99.4%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- active
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
Actively exploited in the wild
CISA added this to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Nov 3, 2021. That signals real attacks, not theory.
Remediation deadline for government agencies: May 3, 2022.
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| apache | struts | cpe:2.3:a:apache:struts |
| cisco | digital media manager | cpe:2.3:a:cisco:digital_media_manager |
| cisco | hosted collaboration solution | cpe:2.3:a:cisco:hosted_collaboration_solution |
| cisco | media experience engine | cpe:2.3:a:cisco:media_experience_engine |
| cisco | network performance analysis | cpe:2.3:a:cisco:network_performance_analysis |
| cisco | video distribution suite for internet streaming | cpe:2.3:a:cisco:video_distribution_suite_for_internet_streaming |
| netapp | oncommand balance | cpe:2.3:a:netapp:oncommand_balance |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- apache struts2.1.2 and later · before 2.3.34
- apache struts2.5.0 and later · before 2.5.13
- cisco digital media managerall versions
- cisco hosted collaboration solution10.5(1)
- cisco hosted collaboration solution11.0(1)
- cisco hosted collaboration solution11.5(1)
- cisco hosted collaboration solution11.6(1)
- cisco media experience engine3.5
- cisco media experience engine3.5.2
- cisco network performance analysisall versions
- cisco video distribution suite for internet streamingall versions
- netapp oncommand balanceall versions
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (apache). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Apache Software Foundation Apache Struts
- Apache Struts before 2.3.34 and 2.5.x before 2.5.13affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maven | org.apache.struts:struts2-rest-plugin | from 2.1.1 · before 2.3.34 | 2.3.34 |
| Maven | org.apache.struts:struts2-rest-plugin | from 2.5.0 · before 2.5.13 | 2.5.13 |
Same product
apache: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2017-9791The Struts 1 plugin in Apache Struts 2.1.x and 2.3.x might allow remote code execution via a malicious field value passed in a raw message tKEV99Now
- CVE-2017-5638The Jakarta Multipart parser in Apache Struts 2 2.3.x before 2.3.32 and 2.5.x before 2.5.10.1 has incorrect exception handling and error-mesKEV99Now
- CVE-2020-17530Forced OGNL evaluation, when evaluated on raw user input in tag attributes, may lead to remote code execution.KEV98Now
- CVE-2018-11776Apache Struts versions 2.3 to 2.3.34 and 2.5 to 2.5.16 suffer from possible Remote Code Execution when alwaysSelectFullNamespace is true (eiKEV92Now
- CVE-2012-0391The ExceptionDelegator component in Apache Struts before 2.2.3.1 interprets parameter values as OGNL expressions during certain exception haKEV92Now
- CVE-2006-1547ActionForm in Apache Software Foundation (ASF) Struts before 1.2.9 with BeanUtils 1.7 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service vKEV76This week
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maven:org.apache.struts:struts2-rest-plugin | 2.3.34 | Package registry (OSV) |
| Maven:org.apache.struts:struts2-rest-plugin | 2.5.13 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
Weaponized
A ready exploit tool or active in-the-wild use is known for this vulnerability. This should be your top priority.
Evidence
- Metasploit module ×1
- Exploit-DB entry ×1
- Nuclei detection template ×1
- Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×20
Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.
| Source | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Exploit-DB entry | remote | 2017-09-06 |
| Metasploit module | exploit/multi/http/struts2_rest_xstreamApache Struts 2 REST Plugin XStream RCEexploit | 2017-09-05 |
| Nuclei detection template | Nuclei template CVE-2017-9805 | — |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:60 | 2017-09-06 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:3 | 2017-09-07 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:247 | 2017-09-09 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:5 | 2017-09-10 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:15 | 2017-11-24 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:1 | 2017-11-28 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:21 | 2017-12-04 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:1 | 2019-08-31 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:0 | 2019-09-02 |
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
- Metasploit-11 d
- First PoC-10 d
- Published
- CISA KEV+1509 d
- TodaySep 29, 2026+3301 d
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- No user action is required.
- Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- High
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-502 · Deserialization of Untrusted DataCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-primary
Root cause
Data received over the network is deserialized into the language’s native object format without verifying its source. Code paths inside the object can be triggered during deserialization.
The bug in code
The whole CWE-502 classA representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.
Vulnerable
payload = sock.recv(65536)job = pickle.loads(payload)Fixed
payload = sock.recv(65536)if not hmac.compare_digest(sign(payload), header_sig): raise PermissionError("invalid signature")job = JobSchema.validate(json.loads(payload))Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
—
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/alert-cve-2017-9805-3889403.html
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/100609
- www.securitytracker.com/id/1039263
- blogs.apache.org/foundation/entry/apache-struts-statement-on-equifax
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1488482
- cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/WW/S2-052
- lgtm.com/blog/apache_struts_CVE-2017-9805
- security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20170907-0001/
- struts.apache.org/docs/s2-052.html
- tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20170907-struts2
- www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/112992
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2017-9805
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.