How severe is CVE-2017-5638?

CVE-2017-5638 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10, rated CRITICAL. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2017-5638?

CVE-2017-5638 affects the following packages: org.apache.struts:struts2-core (Maven), org.apache.struts:struts2-core (Maven). Ecosystems affected: Maven.

How do I fix CVE-2017-5638?

Update org.apache.struts:struts2-core to 2.3.32 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2017-5638 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2017-5638 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-2017-5638 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

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.

Is CVE-2017-5638 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 57 known exploit references for CVE-2017-5638, including 2 documented proof-of-concept exploits on Exploit-DB and 34 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-2017-5638?

CVE-2017-5638 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 100.0%, 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-2017-5638 in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog?

Yes. CVE-2017-5638 (Apache Struts Remote Code Execution Vulnerability) was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2021-11-03. CISA required all US federal civilian agencies to remediate this vulnerability by 2022-05-03. The required action was: Apply updates per vendor instructions. This CVE has been used in known ransomware campaigns. 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-2017-5638?

CVE-2017-5638 is classified as CWE-755 (CWE-755). 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-2017-5638?

A Nuclei detection template exists for CVE-2017-5638, meaning automated scanners can fingerprint it. 2 Metasploit modules reference CVE-2017-5638, which lowers the barrier to weaponization. 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-2017-5638 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2017-5638 was published on March 11, 2017 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

CRITICAL severity

CVE-2017-5638 — struts2-core

CRITICALFix: apache/struts@b06dd50

CVE-2017-5638 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) CWE-755 vulnerability in org.apache.struts:struts2-core. It is in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2021-11-03) and has been used in ransomware campaigns — 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 vulnerable to remote arbitrary command execution due to improper input validation

Also known asGHSA-j77q-2qqg-6989

Published

Mar 11, 2017

Updated

Oct 20, 2026

Affected

2 pkgs

Patched

2 / 2

Exploits

57 known

Exploitation data as of Oct 22, 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 2021-11-03 — including use in ransomware campaigns. Federal agencies were required to remediate by 2022-05-03.
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-2017-5638.

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

100.0%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Very High Risk0.00%

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-2017-5638 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 ≥ 90% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.

Real-World Exposure

2 pkgs affected

☕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

The Jakarta Multipart parser in Apache Struts 2 2.3.x before 2.3.32 and 2.5.x before 2.5.10.1 has incorrect exception handling and error-message generation during file-upload attempts, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via a crafted Content-Type, Content-Disposition, or Content-Length HTTP header, as exploited in the wild in March 2017 with a Content-Type header containing a #cmd= string.

Affected Packages

2 total 2 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.apache.struts:struts2-core`	≥ 2.3.0&&< 2.3.32	2.3.32`org.apache.struts:struts2-core:2.3.32`
☕Maven	`org.apache.struts:struts2-core`	≥ 2.5.0&&< 2.5.10.1	2.5.10.1`org.apache.struts:struts2-core:2.5.10.1`

Affected Products

9 products · 21 configurations

Application

strutsapache

≥ 2.5.0 && < 2.5.10.1

range

Application

clearpass policy managerarubanetworks

< 6.6.5

range

Application

server automationhp

5 versions

9.1.010.0.010.1.010.2.010.5.0

storwize v3500 firmwareibm

2 versions

7.7.1.67.8.1.0

storwize v5000 firmwareibm

2 versions

7.7.1.67.8.1.0

storwize v7000 firmwareibm

2 versions

7.7.1.67.8.1.0

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-41614remotemultiple✓ Verified

Apache Struts 2.3.5 < 2.3.31 / 2.5 < 2.5.10 - 'Jakarta' Multipart Parser OGNL Injection (Metasploit)

by Metasploit · Mar 15, 2017

Exploit-DB Source

EDB-41570webappslinux✓ Verified

Apache Struts 2.3.5 < 2.3.31 / 2.5 < 2.5.10 - Remote Code Execution

by Vex Woo · Mar 7, 2017

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 2.3.32 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2017-5638 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 to detect CVE-2017-5638

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

nuclei -id cve-2017-5638 -u https://target

Template: Apache Struts 2 - Remote Command Execution
Severity: critical
Impact: Remote attackers can execute arbitrary commands on the target system.
Remediation: Upgrade to Apache Struts 2.3.32 or 2.5.10.1 or apply the necessary patches.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2017-5638 in your dependencies?

Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.

Scan my dependencies How O3 SCA works

CVE-2017-5638 — 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-2017-5638

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CVE-2017-5638 in your dependencies?