CVE-2013-2115 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.1) Code Injection vulnerability in org.apache.struts:struts2-core. 2 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.apache.struts:struts2-core — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Code injection in Apache Struts
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2013-2115 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE sits: patch-first territory.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,166 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the 50–90% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
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
A vulnerability introduced by forcing parameter inclusion in the URL and Anchor Tag allows remote command execution, session access and manipulation and XSS attacks.
both the s:url and s:a tag provide an includeParams attribute.
The main scope of that attribute is to understand whether includes http request parameter or not.
The allowed values of includeParams are:
none - include no parameters in the URL (default)
get - include only GET parameters in the URL
all - include both GET and POST parameters in the URL
A request that included a specially crafted request parameter could be used to inject arbitrary OGNL code into the stack, afterward used as request parameter of an URL or A tag , which will cause a further evaluation.
The second evaluation happens when the URL/A tag tries to resolve every parameters present in the original request. This lets malicious users put arbitrary OGNL statements into any request parameter (not necessarily managed by the code) and have it evaluated as an OGNL expression to enable method execution and execute arbitrary methods, bypassing Struts and OGNL library protections.
The issue was originally addressed by Struts 2.3.14.1 and Security Announcement S2-013. However, the solution introduced with 2.3.14.1 did not address all possible attack vectors, such that every version of Struts 2 before 2.3.14.2 is still vulnerable to such attacks.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.struts:struts2-core | ≥ 2.0.0&&< 2.3.14.2 | 2.3.14.2org.apache.struts:struts2-core:2.3.14.2 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.struts.xwork:xwork-core | ≥ 2.0.0&&< 2.3.14.2 | 2.3.14.2org.apache.struts.xwork:xwork-core:2.3.14.2 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Apache Struts - includeParams Remote Code Execution (Metasploit)
by Metasploit · Jun 5, 2013
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 2.3.14.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2013-2115 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2013-2115 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2013-2115. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2013-2115 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2013-2115 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.