CVE-2015-2992 — struts2-core
CVE-2015-2992 is a Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in org.apache.struts:struts2-core. A fix is available for org.apache.struts:struts2-core — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Cross-site Scripting in Apache Struts
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
Real-World Exposure
org.apache.struts:struts2-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
When the Struts2 debug mode is turned on, under certain conditions an arbitrary script may be executed in the 'Problem Report' screen. Also if JSP files are exposed to be accessed directly it's possible to execute an arbitrary script.
It is generally not advisable to have debug mode switched on outside of the development environment. Debug mode should always be turned off in production setup. Also never expose JSPs files directly and hide them inside WEB-INF folder or define dedicated security constraints to block access to raw JSP files.
Struts >= 2.3.20 is not vulnerable to this attack. We recommend upgrading to Struts 2.3.20 or higher if turning off debug mode is not possible.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.struts:struts2-core | all versions | 2.3.20org.apache.struts:struts2-core:2.3.20 |
Affected Products
strutsapacheDetection & 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 2.3.20 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2015-2992 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Escape or sanitise the affected output on the server side rather than relying on client-side filtering, and add a Content-Security-Policy that blocks inline script execution so injected markup cannot run even if it reaches the page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2015-2992 in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.