How severe is CVE-2017-9802?

CVE-2017-9802 has a CVSS score of 6.1/10, rated MEDIUM. Review your exposure and patch according to your risk tolerance.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2017-9802?

CVE-2017-9802 affects the following packages: org.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.servlets.post (Maven). Ecosystems affected: Maven.

How do I fix CVE-2017-9802?

Update org.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.servlets.post to 2.3.22 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2017-9802 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2017-9802 in my Maven dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.servlets.post, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate CVE-2017-9802 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

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.

Is CVE-2017-9802 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2017-9802 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2017-9802?

CVE-2017-9802 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 3.7%, placing it in the 90th 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. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2017-9802?

CVE-2017-9802 is classified as Cross-site Scripting (XSS) (CWE-79). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation. This is a high-impact weakness class that often enables remote code execution or data exposure.

When was CVE-2017-9802 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2017-9802 was published on May 14, 2022 and was last updated on November 8, 2023. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

☕

☕ Maven

Not in CISA KEV

MEDIUM severity

CVE-2017-9802 — org.apache.sling.servlets…

MEDIUM

CVE-2017-9802 is a medium-severity (CVSS 6.1) Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in org.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.servlets.post. A fix is available for org.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.servlets.post — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Apache Sling Servlets Post

Published

May 14, 2022

Updated

Nov 8, 2023

Affected

1 pkg

Patched

1 / 1

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Nov 1, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

3.7%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs90th percentile — riskier than 90% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

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

1 pkg affected

☕org.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.servlets.post

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 Javascript method Sling.evalString() in Apache Sling Servlets Post before 2.3.22 uses the javascript 'eval' function to parse input strings, which allows for XSS attacks by passing specially crafted input strings.

Affected Packages

1 total 1 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.servlets.post`	all versions	2.3.22`org.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.servlets.post:2.3.22`

Affected Products

1 product · 1 configurations

Application

sling servlets postapache

≤ 2.3.20

range

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.sling:org.apache.sling.servlets.post, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.servlets.post to 2.3.22 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2017-9802 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

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2017-9802 in your dependencies?

Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.

Scan my dependencies How O3 SCA works

CVSS Score

6.1/10CVSS v3 base

Vector breakdown

Attack Vector

Network

Attack Complexity

Low

Privileges Required

None

User Interaction

Required

Scope

Changed

Confidentiality

Low

Integrity

Low

Availability

None

Raw vector

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

CWE Classification

CWE-79Cross-site Scripting (XSS)

Weaponization

No Nuclei template, Metasploit module or public proof-of-concept found.

Timeline

Disclosed

May 14, 2022

Last updated

Nov 8, 2023

Identifiers

CVE-2017-9802

References

Advisorynvd.nist.gov · CVE 2017 9802 Webissues.apache.org · SLING 7041 Weblists.apache.org · 2f4b8333e44c6e7e0b00933bd4204ce64829952f60dbb6814f2cdf91@<dev.sling.apache.org>Webpacketstormsecurity.com · Apache Sling Servlets Post 2.3.20 Cross Site Scripting Websecurityfocus.com · threaded Websecurityfocus.com

Related vulnerabilities

Also affects org.apache.sling.servlets.post

This CVE is medium severity; 3 of 3 other CVEs affecting org.apache.sling.servlets.post are rated as high or higher (top: high).

CVE-2012-2138CVE-2016-0956CVE-2015-2944

Same weakness: CWE-79

This CVE is medium severity; 5 of 5 other CVEs with CWE-79 are rated as high or higher (top: critical).

CVE-2026-44267CVE-2026-96632CVE-2026-9086CVE-2026-118246CVE-2026-118251Browse all CWE-79

Provenance

Sources

OSV.devNVDFIRST.org (EPSS)

Last verifiedNov 8, 2023