CVE-2017-5638
The 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…
- 9.8CriticalCVSS base score
- 100.0%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 0.1% of all CVEs
- YesKnown exploitedin CISA's KEV since 3 Nov 2021
- 4Public exploitsMetasploit, Nuclei and Exploit-DB
Description
The 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-message generation during file-upload attempts, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via a crafted Content-Type, Content-Disposition, or Content-Length HTTP header, as exploited in the wild in March 2017 with a Content-Type header containing a #cmd= string.
Exploited in the wild
CISA lists this vulnerability in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog as Apache Struts Remote Code Execution Vulnerability.
- Added
- 3 Nov 2021
- Fix due (US federal)
- 3 May 2022
- Used by ransomware
- Known
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
ENISA's EU Vulnerability Database lists it as exploited, from CISA's KEV, since 3 Nov 2021.
Public exploit
An exploit or proof of concept is public: anyone can try it against an unpatched system. The public collections list a Metasploit module, a Nuclei template and 2 Exploit-DB entries for it. 2 references of the record are tagged as an exploit. CISA's SSVC rates its exploitation: it is being exploited.
Show the exploits6
Metasploit modules1 module
- Apache Struts Jakarta Multipart Parser OGNL Injection (Metasploit module) (opens in a new tab)
exploit/multi/http/struts2_content_type_ognlRank excellentdisclosed 7 Mar 2017
Nuclei templates1 template
- Apache Struts 2 - Remote Command Execution (Nuclei template) (opens in a new tab)
http/cves/2017/CVE-2017-5638.yamlSeverity critical
Exploit-DB2 entries
- Apache Struts 2.3.5 < 2.3.31 / 2.5 < 2.5.10 - 'Jakarta' Multipart Parser OGNL Injection (Metasploit) (Exploit-DB entry) (opens in a new tab)
EDB-ID 41614remote, multiplepublished 15 Mar 2017Verified
- Apache Struts 2.3.5 < 2.3.31 / 2.5 < 2.5.10 - Remote Code Execution (Exploit-DB entry) (opens in a new tab)
EDB-ID 41570webapps, linuxpublished 7 Mar 2017Verified
References tagged exploit2 references
- 41570 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
- 41614 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
Modules, templates and exploits as listed by the Metasploit Framework (BSD-3-Clause), ProjectDiscovery's Nuclei templates (MIT) and the Exploit Database (GPLv2), read once a day. Where the data comes from
Timeline
ID reserved
By apache
- 41 days later
· 41 days later
Published
- 5 years later
· 5 years later
Added to CISA KEV
Known exploited, also by ransomware
- 4 years later
· 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CISA-ADPADP (enrichment) | 3.1 | Critical9.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Analyzed | 3.1 | Critical9.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 100.0% · top 0.1% of all CVEs (9 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: active · Automatable: yes · Technical impact: total
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Critical 9.8.
Affected products
Apache Software Foundation · Apache Struts
- affected 2.3.x before 2.3.32
- affected 2.5.x before 2.5.10.1
Affected packages
From reviewed advisories of the GitHub Advisory Database.
- Mavenorg.apache.struts:struts2-coreGHSA-j77q-2qqg-6989 (opens in a new tab)
References
34
- https://nmap.org/nsedoc/scripts/http-vuln-cve2017-5638.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- http://www.arubanetworks.com/assets/alert/ARUBA-PSA-2017-002.txt (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- https://arstechnica.com/security/2017/03/critical-vulnerability-under-massive-attack-imperils-high-impact-sites/ (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- 41570 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20170310-0001/ (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/issues/8064 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://struts.apache.org/docs/s2-046.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- http://blog.talosintelligence.com/2017/03/apache-0-day-exploited.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://www.imperva.com/blog/2017/03/cve-2017-5638-new-remote-code-execution-rce-vulnerability-in-apache-struts-2/ (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbgn03733en_us (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- VU#834067 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_CERT-VNx_transferred
- https://isc.sans.edu/diary/22169 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://struts.apache.org/docs/s2-045.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- 1037973 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_SECTRACKx_transferred
- http://www.eweek.com/security/apache-struts-vulnerability-under-attack.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- 96729 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDx_transferred
- https://twitter.com/theog150/status/841146956135124993 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://github.com/mazen160/struts-pwn (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://packetstormsecurity.com/files/141494/S2-45-poc.py.txt (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://www.symantec.com/security-center/network-protection-security-advisories/SA145 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/product_security/len-14200 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- https://git1-us-west.apache.org/repos/asf?p=struts.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=352306493971e7d5a756d61780d57a76eb1f519a (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbhf03723en_us (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- https://git1-us-west.apache.org/repos/asf?p=struts.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=6b8272ce47160036ed120a48345d9aa884477228 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/WW/S2-045 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- 41614 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
- https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/WW/S2-046 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpujul2017-3236622.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbgn03749en_us (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- http://blog.trendmicro.com/trendlabs-security-intelligence/cve-2017-5638-apache-struts-vulnerability-remote-code-execution/ (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- [announce] 20200131 Apache Software Foundation Security Report: 2019 (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
- [announce] 20210125 Apache Software Foundation Security Report: 2020 (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
- [announce] 20210223 Re: Apache Software Foundation Security Report: 2020 (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2017-5638 (opens in a new tab)government-resource
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)
- CISA KEV catalog (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2018-0625 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-j77q-2qqg-6989 (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
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[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2017-5638)Record last updated .