CVE-2016-8738
In Apache Struts 2.5 through 2.5.5, if an application allows entering a URL in a form field and the built-in URLValidator is used, it is…
- Published
- Updated
- Reserved
- Assigned by
- apache
Description
In Apache Struts 2.5 through 2.5.5, if an application allows entering a URL in a form field and the built-in URLValidator is used, it is possible to prepare a special URL which will be used to overload server process when performing validation of the URL.
Timeline
ID reserved
By apache
- 11 months later
· 11 months later
Published
- 7 years later
· 7 years later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVDNVD · Modified | 3.0 | Medium5.9 | CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 3.3% · top 12% of all CVEs (8 Nov 2026)
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 5.9.
Weakness
- Possible DoS attack when using URLValidator
- CWE-20 (opens in a new tab)All about CWE-20 and its CVEs
Affected products
Apache Software Foundation · Apache Struts
- affected 2.5 - 2.5.5
Affected packages
From reviewed advisories of the GitHub Advisory Database.
- Mavenorg.apache.struts:struts2-coreGHSA-86vq-8qhc-5rqw (opens in a new tab)
References (3)
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20180629-0003/ (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- 94657 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDx_transferred
- https://struts.apache.org/docs/s2-044.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-86vq-8qhc-5rqw (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2016-8738)Record last updated .