CVE-2012-0391 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) Code Injection vulnerability in org.apache.struts:struts2-core. It is in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2022-01-21) — treat it as actively exploited and patch now. A fix is available for org.apache.struts:struts2-core — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Apache Struts Remote Java Code Execution
Exploitation Status
Actively exploited in the wild
- Confirmed by CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2022-01-21. Federal agencies were required to remediate by 2022-07-21.
- CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks.
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA (KEV catalog and SSVC triage) for CVE-2012-0391.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2012-0391 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). In the shaded patch-first corner (EPSS 50%+, CVSS 7.0+).
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 394,803 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the 50–90% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.
Real-World Exposure
org.apache.struts:struts2-core☕org.apache.struts.xwork:xwork-coreReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
The ExceptionDelegator component in Apache Struts before 2.2.3.1 interprets parameter values as OGNL expressions during certain exception handling for mismatched data types of properties, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary Java code via a crafted parameter.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.struts:struts2-core | all versions | 2.2.3.1org.apache.struts:struts2-core:2.2.3.1 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.struts.xwork:xwork-core | all versions | 2.2.3.1org.apache.struts.xwork:xwork-core:2.2.3.1 |
Affected Products
strutsapacheResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Apache Struts 2 < 2.3.1 - Multiple Vulnerabilities
by SEC Consult · Jan 6, 2012
Apache Struts 2.2.1.1 - Remote Command Execution (Metasploit)
by Metasploit · Jun 5, 2012
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.struts:struts2-core, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.struts:struts2-core to 2.2.3.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2012-0391 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Stop passing untrusted input into the interpreter or shell: call the affected binary with an argument array rather than a composed command string, reject anything outside a strict allowlist of expected values, and run the component under an account that cannot reach beyond the work it legitimately does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2012-0391 in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.