How severe is CVE-2016-3081?

CVE-2016-3081 has a CVSS score of 8.1/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2016-3081?

CVE-2016-3081 affects the following packages: org.apache.struts:struts2-core (Maven), org.apache.struts:struts2-core (Maven), org.apache.struts:struts2-core (Maven). Ecosystems affected: Maven.

How do I fix CVE-2016-3081?

Update org.apache.struts:struts2-core to 2.3.20.3 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2016-3081 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2016-3081 in my Maven dependencies?

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.

How do I mitigate CVE-2016-3081 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

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.

Is CVE-2016-3081 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 3 known exploit references for CVE-2016-3081, including 1 documented proof-of-concept exploit on Exploit-DB and 2 in-the-wild exploitations observed on GitHub and other sources. Treat this as actively exploitable and prioritize patching immediately. All exploit code should only be run in an isolated sandbox environment for research or authorized testing — never against production systems without explicit written authorization.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2016-3081?

CVE-2016-3081 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 96.1%, placing it in the 100th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A score above 50% indicates significantly elevated exploitation risk — immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Is CVE-2016-3081 in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog?

Yes. CVE-2016-3081 (Apache Struts Command Injection Vulnerability) was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2026-10-08. CISA required all US federal civilian agencies to remediate this vulnerability by 2026-10-11. The required action was: Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines. Being listed in the KEV catalog is the strongest possible confirmation of active exploitation — treat this as a critical priority.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2016-3081?

CVE-2016-3081 is classified as CWE-77 (CWE-77). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

Is there exploit tooling available for CVE-2016-3081?

A Nuclei detection template exists for CVE-2016-3081, meaning automated scanners can fingerprint it. Public exploit tooling significantly increases real-world risk — prioritize patching and ensure detection coverage. Exploit tooling should only ever be used in isolated, authorized testing environments.

When was CVE-2016-3081 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2016-3081 was published on April 26, 2016 and was last updated on October 20, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

☕

☕ Maven

CISA KEV · ACTIVELY EXPLOITED

HIGH severity

CVE-2016-3081 — struts2-core

HIGH

CVE-2016-3081 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.1) CWE-77 vulnerability in org.apache.struts:struts2-core. It is in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2026-10-08) — 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 RCE Vulnerability

Also known asGHSA-8c6j-ffmf-q6vm

Published

Apr 26, 2016

Updated

Oct 20, 2026

Affected

3 pkgs

Patched

3 / 3

Exploits

3 known

Exploitation data as of Oct 21, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, CISA KEV, FIRST.org (EPSS)

Exploitation Status

Actively exploited in the wild

Confirmed by CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-10-08. Federal agencies were required to remediate by 2026-10-11.
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-2016-3081.

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

96.1%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Very High Risk+2.70%

Lower risk than most CVEs100th percentile — riskier than 100% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

How urgent is this, really

CVE-2016-3081 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 394,415 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the ≥ 90% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.

Real-World Exposure

3 pkgs affected

☕org.apache.struts:struts2-core☕org.apache.struts:struts2-core☕org.apache.struts:struts2-core

Real-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

Apache Struts 2.3.19 to 2.3.20.2, 2.3.21 to 2.3.24.1, and 2.3.25 to 2.3.28, when Dynamic Method Invocation is enabled, allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via method: prefix, related to chained expressions.

Affected Packages

3 total 3 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.apache.struts:struts2-core`	≥ 2.3.19&&< 2.3.20.3	2.3.20.3`org.apache.struts:struts2-core:2.3.20.3`
☕Maven	`org.apache.struts:struts2-core`	≥ 2.3.21&&< 2.3.24.3	2.3.24.3`org.apache.struts:struts2-core:2.3.24.3`
☕Maven	`org.apache.struts:struts2-core`	≥ 2.3.25&&< 2.3.28.1	2.3.28.1`org.apache.struts:struts2-core:2.3.28.1`

Affected Products

20 products · 66 configurations

Application

strutsapache

≥ 2.3.25 && < 2.3.28.1

range

agile controller-campus firmwarehuawei

1 version

v100r002c00

Application

anyofficehuawei

2 versions

v200r005c00v200r006c00

firehunter6000 firmwarehuawei

1 version

v100r001c20

Application

logcenterhuawei

2 versions

v100r001c10v100r001c20

oceanstor 5300 v3 firmwarehuawei

4 versions

v300r001v300r002v300r003c00v300r003c10

Exploits & PoCs

Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.

EDB-39756remotelinux✓ Verified

Apache Struts - Dynamic Method Invocation Remote Code Execution (Metasploit)

by Metasploit · May 2, 2016

Exploit-DB Source

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
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 2.3.20.3 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2016-3081 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.

How to detect CVE-2016-3081

A community-maintained Nuclei template exists for this CVE. You can scan for it directly:

nuclei -id cve-2016-3081 -u https://target

Template: Apache S2-032 Struts - Remote Code Execution
Severity: high
Impact: Remote code execution
Remediation: Upgrade to Apache Struts version 2.3.20.2, 2.3.24.2, or 2.3.28.1.

Template by ProjectDiscovery nuclei-templates (dhiyaneshDK), MIT licensed. View the full template. Scan only systems you are authorised to test.

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2016-3081 in your dependencies?

Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.

Scan my dependencies How O3 SCA works

CVSS Score

8.1/10CVSS v3 base

Vector breakdown

Attack Vector

Network

Attack Complexity

High

Privileges Required

None

User Interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Raw vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE Classification

Weaponization

OpenSSF Scorecard

Package health score

struts

8.4/10

Code-Review0/10

Maintained10/10

Dependency-Update-Tool10/10

Branch-ProtectionN/A

Vulnerabilities8/10

Assessed Oct 22, 2026

Timeline

Disclosed

Apr 26, 2016

First exploit

May 2, 2016

5 days after disclosure — rapid exploitation

KEV added

Oct 8, 2026

Last updated

Oct 20, 2026

Identifiers

CVE-2016-3081

GHSA-8c6j-ffmf-q6vm

References

Advisoryhuawei.com Advisoryoracle.com Advisoryrapid7.com Advisoryrapid7.com Advisorysecurityfocus.com Advisorysecurityfocus.com Advisorysecuritytracker.com Advisorynvd.nist.gov Fixoracle.com Fixstruts.apache.org Webcisa.gov Webweb.archive.org Webweb.archive.org Webweb.archive.org Webexploit-db.com Packagegithub.com Evidencepacketstormsecurity.com Evidenceexploit-db.com

Related vulnerabilities

This CVE is high severity; 7 of 8 other CVEs affecting struts2-core are rated as high or higher (top: critical).

CVE-2025-68493CVE-2025-66675CVE-2025-64775CVE-2024-53677CVE-2023-50164CVE-2023-41835CVE-2023-34396CVE-2023-34149

Provenance

Sources

OSV.devNVDCISA KEVFIRST.org (EPSS)

Last verifiedOct 20, 2026

CVE-2016-3081 — struts2-core

Exploitation Status

Actively exploited in the wild

EPSS Exploitation Probability

How urgent is this, really

Where this sits among everything scored

Real-World Exposure

Description

Affected Packages

Affected Products

Detection & mitigation playbook

Detect

Fix

Workarounds

How to detect CVE-2016-3081

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CVE-2016-3081 in your dependencies?