How severe is CVE-2021-31805?

CVE-2021-31805 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10, rated CRITICAL. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2021-31805?

CVE-2021-31805 affects the following packages: org.apache.struts:struts2-core (Maven). Ecosystems affected: Maven.

How do I fix CVE-2021-31805?

Update org.apache.struts:struts2-core to version 2.5.30 or later. Run your dependency manager's update command and verify no transitive dependencies pin the vulnerable version. Use O3 Security's SCA scanner to confirm the fix is applied across your entire dependency tree.

Is CVE-2021-31805 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 10 known exploit references for CVE-2021-31805, including 7 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-2021-31805?

CVE-2021-31805 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 93.8%, 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.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2021-31805?

CVE-2021-31805 is classified as Expression Language Injection (CWE-917). 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.

Is there exploit tooling available for CVE-2021-31805?

A Nuclei detection template exists for CVE-2021-31805, 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-2021-31805 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2021-31805 was published on April 12, 2022 and was last updated on March 14, 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

CVE-2021-31805

CRITICAL

Expression Language Injection in Apache Struts

Also known asGHSA-v8j6-6c2r-r27c

Published

Apr 12, 2022

Updated

Mar 14, 2026

Affected

1 pkg

Patched

1 / 1

Exploits

10 known

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

93.8%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Very High Risk100th percentile0.00%

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.

Blast Radius

1 pkg affected

☕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 fix issued for CVE-2020-17530 was incomplete. So from Apache Struts 2.0.0 to 2.5.29, still some of the tag’s attributes could perform a double evaluation if a developer applied forced OGNL evaluation by using the %{...} syntax. Using forced OGNL evaluation on untrusted user input can lead to a Remote Code Execution and security degradation.

Affected Packages

1 total 1 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.apache.struts:struts2-core`	≥ 2.0.0&&< 2.5.30	2.5.30

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.