CVE-2016-1181 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.1) remote code execution vulnerability in org.apache.struts:struts-core. EPSS puts its 30-day exploitation probability at 12.7% (96th percentile). The records list no fixed version yet; check the vendor advisory below and apply the mitigations in the meantime.
Improper Input Validation in Apache Struts
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- 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.
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2016-1181.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
Real-World Exposure
org.apache.struts:struts-core☕struts:strutsReal-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
ActionServlet.java in Apache Struts 1 1.x through 1.3.10 mishandles multithreaded access to an ActionForm instance, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (unexpected memory access) via a multipart request, a related issue to CVE-2015-0899.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.struts:struts-core | all versions | No fix |
| ☕Maven | struts:struts | all versions | No fix |
Affected Products
strutsapachebanking platformoracleportaloracleDetection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.struts:struts-core, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Remediation status
The records we use list no patched version of org.apache.struts:struts-core for CVE-2016-1181. Check the maintainer's advisory, and where your build allows, override or pin the dependency away from the vulnerable range.
Mitigate without a patch
Cap what an attacker can consume: apply request size, rate and timeout limits in front of the affected component, and run it with memory and CPU limits so exhaustion degrades one worker rather than the whole service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2016-1181 in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.