CVE Intelligence
CISA KEV Critical exploit reference

CVE-2017-5638 — Apache Struts Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

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.

Published Mar 10, 2017 · Updated Oct 13, 2026 · Sources: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP, GitHub Security Advisories · CNA: apache

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

CISA KEV · Nov 3, 2021 R used by ransomware (CISA) Detection templates (Nuclei) · 1Metasploit modules · 1Exploit-DB · 2
How the score was calculated
  • Confirmed exploitation (CISA KEV)+35
  • Used in ransomware campaigns (CISA)+10
  • Public exploit/PoC (nuclei, metasploit, exploitdb)+20
  • EPSS 100% (30-day exploitation probability)+15
  • Technical severity (critical)+10
  • Automatable exploitation (SSVC)+3

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation
Confirmed
CISA KEV, listed Nov 3, 2021
EPSS FIRST
100%
ahead of 100% of scored CVEs · Oct 14, 2026
Affects
Apache Software Foundation
Struts and 9 more
CVSS base
9.8
Critical · 4 source(s)
Prioritization reference: 10.0 provisional

CISA SSVC assessment CISA

Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.

Exploitation
Active
none · proof-of-concept · active
Automatable
Yes
can an attacker script the kill-chain steps
Technical impact
Total
partial · total control of the vulnerable component

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

  • Documented patch — www.oracle.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
  • Documented mitigation — cwiki.apache.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
  • Documented mitigation — cwiki.apache.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
  • Documented mitigation — struts.apache.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
  • Documented mitigation — struts.apache.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
  • Maven Org.apache.struts:struts2-core: fixed in version 2.3.32 — github.com (GitHub Security Advisories)
  • Maven Org.apache.struts:struts2-core: fixed in version 2.5.10.1 — github.com (GitHub Security Advisories)

CISA required action CISA

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

US federal deadline: May 3, 2022 — passed 1626 day(s) ago

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

  1. Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Apache Software Foundation Struts, Arubanetworks Clearpass Policy Manager, Hp Server Automation…).
  2. Treat as emergency remediation: the CVE is in CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).
  3. The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
  4. Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
  5. EPSS ahead of 100% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
  6. Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

VendorProductVersionsStatusSource
Apache Software Foundation Struts ≥ 2.5.0 and < 2.5.10.1≥ 2.2.3 and < 2.3.32 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Apache Software Foundation Struts version 2.3.x before 2.3.32version 2.5.x before 2.5.10.1 Vulnerable CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Arubanetworks Clearpass Policy Manager < 6.6.5 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Hp Server Automation version 10.5.0version 10.2.0version 10.1.0version 10.0.0version 9.1.0 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Ibm Storwize V3500 Firmware version 7.7.1.6version 7.8.1.0 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Ibm Storwize V5000 Firmware version 7.7.1.6version 7.8.1.0 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Ibm Storwize V7000 Firmware version 7.7.1.6version 7.8.1.0 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Lenovo Storage V5030 Firmware version 7.7.1.6version 7.8.1.0 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Netapp Oncommand Balance versions not specified by the source Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Oracle Weblogic Server version 10.3.6.0.0version 12.2.1.2.0version 12.2.1.1.0version 12.1.3.0.0 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Maven Org.apache.struts:struts2-core ≥ 2.5.0 and ≤ 2.5.10≥ 2.3.0 and ≤ 2.3.31 Vulnerable GitHub Security Advisories

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

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

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

ScoreVersionSeverityExpl.ImpactScored by
9.8 CVSS 3.1 Critical 3.9 5.9 nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database
9.8 CVSS 3.1 Critical 3.9 5.9 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 via NIST National Vulnerability Database
9.8 CVSS 3.1 Critical — — CISA-ADP via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
10.0 CVSS 3.0 Critical — — GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories
10.0 CVSS 2.0 High 10.0 10.0 nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov)
Sources assign different scores within the same severity band. For prioritization we use 10.0 (GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories) as a conservative provisional reference — not a definitive official score.

Weakness MITRE

Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.

CWE-755

Other CVEs with this weakness →

CISA KEV details CISA

CISA lists a CVE once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.

Listed
Nov 3, 2021
Federal deadline
May 3, 2022
passed 1626 day(s) ago
Ransomware use
Known

CISA records ransomware use only for campaigns it has confirmed, so “Unknown” means unrecorded, not ruled out. The deadline binds US federal agencies; for everyone else it is a reference date.

Public exploits, PoCs and detection templates

Public code that demonstrates or tests the flaw raises the odds of mass exploitation — and Nuclei templates help find vulnerable assets in your environment.

Detection templates (Nuclei)
Metasploit modules
Exploit-DB

Warning: public PoCs are sometimes disguised malware. Use them only for authorized testing in an isolated environment. This portal does not host exploit code — it only points to the sources.

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 100.00%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

  • Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
  • Hunt retroactively in logs from before Nov 3, 2021 (KEV listing): exploitation may have started earlier.
web/proxy/WAF logsnetwork IDS/IPS

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

  • 2026
  • Fix documented
    Oct 13, 2026 · GitHub Security Advisories
  • Affected products added · maven/org.apache.struts:struts2-core
    Oct 13, 2026 · GitHub Security Advisories
  • Affected products added · apache software foundation/apache struts
    Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • SSVC assessment updated
    Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Record published
    Oct 13, 2026
  • Fix documented
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Affected products added · apache/struts, ibm/storwize v3500 firmware, ibm/storwize v5000 firmware, ibm/storwize v7000 firmware, lenovo/storage v50
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • CVSS changed · 9.8
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Source status changed · → Analyzed
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Added to CISA KEV (detected)
    Oct 13, 2026 · CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
  • Record created in this database
    Oct 13, 2026 · CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
  • 2021
  • Added to CISA KEV catalog
    Nov 2, 2021 · CISA
  • 2017
  • CVE published
    Mar 10, 2017 · apache

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

  • 2× References added · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
  • 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026

References

50 on the record

Elsewhere on this site

Apache Software Foundation
every CVE for this vendor
2021-11
what else CISA listed that month
CWE-755
other pages naming this weakness

Related CVEs (same products)

  • CVE-2026-104712 Apache Struts: Disproportionate response size when rendering BigDecimal request parameters 10d
  • CVE-2026-104713 Apache Struts: Unbounded request body read in the REST plugin 10d
  • CVE-2026-104714 Apache Struts: Shared message formatter exposes date and time values across concurrent requests 10d
  • CVE-2026-104711 Apache Struts: OGNL injection in the legacy RESTful action mapper 10d
  • CVE-2026-46848 Improper Access Control in Oracle Weblogic Server Jun 17, 2026
  • CVE-2026-35311 Improper Access Control in Oracle Weblogic Server Jun 17, 2026

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

  • No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
  • No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
  • No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2017-5638 is "Apache Struts Remote Code Execution Vulnerability", rated Critical. It affects Struts (Apache Software Foundation); versions are in the scope table. It is in CISA KEV: there is evidence of real-world exploitation. CVSS 9.8 describes technical severity. EPSS 100.00% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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