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Apache Struts forced double OGNL evaluation

High severity GitHub Reviewed Published May 14, 2022 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Apr 23, 2025

Package

maven org.apache.struts:struts2-core (Maven)

Affected versions

>= 2.0.0, < 2.3.29

Patched versions

2.3.29

Description

Apache 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.

References

Published by the National Vulnerability Database Oct 16, 2017
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database May 14, 2022
Reviewed Apr 23, 2025
Last updated Apr 23, 2025

Severity

High

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS score

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

This score estimates the probability of this vulnerability being exploited within the next 30 days. Data provided by FIRST.
(81st percentile)

Weaknesses

CVE ID

CVE-2016-4461

GHSA ID

GHSA-864w-r5qj-h6fj

Source code

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