CVE-2017-5638
Apache Struts Remote Code Execution Vulnerability is confirmed as actively exploited and is listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
Required action
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
CISA notes
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-5638
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.
Severity
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation Context
as of October 17, 2026- CISA added CVE-2017-5638 to the KEV catalog 1,698 days after its CVE record was published.
- It is one of 41 Apache entries in the CISA KEV catalog, and one of 12 added in 2021.
- Its current EPSS score (100.0%) is higher than that of 97% of CISA KEV entries.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions |
|---|---|---|
| Apache Software Foundation | Apache Software Foundation Apache Struts | 2.3.x before 2.3.32 2.5.x before 2.5.10.1 |
References
33 Links- https://nmap.org/nsedoc/scripts/http-vuln-cve2017-5638.html
- http://www.arubanetworks.com/assets/alert/ARUBA-PSA-2017-002.txt
- https://arstechnica.com/security/2017/03/critical-vulnerability-under-massive-attack-imperils-high-impact-sites/
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20170310-0001/
- https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/issues/8064
- https://struts.apache.org/docs/s2-046.html
- http://blog.talosintelligence.com/2017/03/apache-0-day-exploited.html
- https://www.imperva.com/blog/2017/03/cve-2017-5638-new-remote-code-execution-rce-vulnerability-in-apache-struts-2/
- https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbgn03733en_us
- https://isc.sans.edu/diary/22169
- https://struts.apache.org/docs/s2-045.html
- http://www.eweek.com/security/apache-struts-vulnerability-under-attack.html
- https://twitter.com/theog150/status/841146956135124993
- https://github.com/mazen160/struts-pwn
- https://packetstormsecurity.com/files/141494/S2-45-poc.py.txt
- https://www.symantec.com/security-center/network-protection-security-advisories/SA145
- https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/product_security/len-14200
- https://git1-us-west.apache.org/repos/asf?p=struts.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=352306493971e7d5a756d61780d57a76eb1f519a
- https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbhf03723en_us
- https://git1-us-west.apache.org/repos/asf?p=struts.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=6b8272ce47160036ed120a48345d9aa884477228
- https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/WW/S2-045
- https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/WW/S2-046
- http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpujul2017-3236622.html
- https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbgn03749en_us
- http://blog.trendmicro.com/trendlabs-security-intelligence/cve-2017-5638-apache-struts-vulnerability-remote-code-execution/
Record Details
More from Apache
Apache Struts Improper Input Validation Vulnerability
Apache Struts Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Apache Struts Deserialization of Untrusted Data Vulnerability
Apache Struts Command Injection Vulnerability
CVE record data © The MITRE Corporation, used under the CVE Terms of Use. Exploited-in-the-wild data from the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (CC0). Exploit prediction scores by FIRST EPSS (first.org/epss). This site is not endorsed or certified by MITRE, NVD, CISA, or FIRST.