Security Digest · Vulnerability record
CVE-2023-50164: Apache Struts vulnerable to path traversal
An attacker can manipulate file upload params to enable paths traversal and under some circumstances this can lead to uploading a malicious file which can be used to perform Remote Code Execution.
CVSS 9.8 Critical EPSS 80.8% · p99.6
Should you act?
High exploit likelihood
EPSS ranks it in the top 5% of all CVEs for likely exploitation in the next 30 days. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.
- Not in CISA KEV, but CISA’s SSVC assessment records a public proof-of-concept, so attack code exists.
- EPSS 80.8%, percentile 99.6: FIRST’s model estimates a 80.8% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 99.6% of all scored CVEs (very high). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes
org.apache.struts:struts2-core(Maven) >= 6.0.0, < 6.3.0.2, fixed in 6.3.0.2;org.apache.struts:struts2-core(Maven) >= 2.0.0, < 2.5.33, fixed in 2.5.33. Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.
What it is
An attacker can manipulate file upload params to enable paths traversal and under some circumstances this can lead to uploading a malicious file which can be used to perform Remote Code Execution. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions Struts 2.5.33 or Struts 6.3.0.2 or greater to fix this issue.
From the GitHub advisory
An attacker can manipulate file upload params to enable paths traversal and under some circumstances this can lead to uploading a malicious file which can be used to perform Remote Code Execution. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions Struts 2.5.33 or Struts 6.3.0.2 or greater to fix this issue.
Weakness type: CWE-552.
Product: org.apache.struts:struts2-core (Maven) · Assigned by: apache · Published: 2023-12-07
Affected and fixed versions
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable | First fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maven | org.apache.struts:struts2-core | >= 6.0.0, < 6.3.0.2 | 6.3.0.2 |
| Maven | org.apache.struts:struts2-core | >= 2.0.0, < 2.5.33 | 2.5.33 |
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions (per CVE record) |
|---|---|---|
| Apache Software Foundation | Apache Struts | 2.0.0 <= 2.5.32, 6.0.0 <= 6.3.0.1 |
Severity scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub | 3.1 | 9.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
- Attack complexity: low
- Privileges required: none (no login)
- User interaction: none
- Scope: unchanged
CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.
Exploitation and urgency
- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation poc, automatable yes, technical impact total.
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 80.82% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 99.6.
Timeline
- — CVE record published by apache
- — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-2j39-qcjm-428w published (critical)
- — CVE record last updated
Sources and references
Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.
Vendor and project advisories, patches
- lists.apache.org lists.apache.org
Vulnerability records
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-2j39-qcjm-428w github.com
- CVE.org record CVE-2023-50164 cve.org
- NVD entry CVE-2023-50164 nvd.nist.gov
Other references from the CVE record and advisory
- openwall.com openwall.com
- packetstormsecurity.com packetstormsecurity.com
- security.netapp.com security.netapp.com
- openwall.com openwall.com
- github.com github.com
- github.com github.com
- cwiki.apache.org cwiki.apache.org