How severe is CVE-2023-50164?

CVE-2023-50164 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10, rated CRITICAL. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2023-50164?

CVE-2023-50164 affects the following packages: org.apache.struts:struts2-core (Maven), org.apache.struts:struts2-core (Maven). Ecosystems affected: Maven.

How do I fix CVE-2023-50164?

Update org.apache.struts:struts2-core to 2.5.33 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2023-50164 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2023-50164 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-2023-50164 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-2023-50164 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 12 known exploit references for CVE-2023-50164, including 6 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-2023-50164?

CVE-2023-50164 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 80.8%, 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-2023-50164?

CVE-2023-50164 is classified as CWE-552 (CWE-552). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

When was CVE-2023-50164 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2023-50164 was published on December 7, 2023 and was last updated on October 21, 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

Not in CISA KEV

CRITICAL severity

CVE-2023-50164 — struts2-core

CRITICALFix: apache/struts@162e29f

CVE-2023-50164 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) CWE-552 vulnerability in org.apache.struts:struts2-core. 12 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.apache.struts:struts2-core — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Apache Struts: File upload component had a directory traversal vulnerability

Also known asGHSA-2j39-qcjm-428w

Published

Dec 7, 2023

Updated

Oct 21, 2026

Affected

2 pkgs

Patched

2 / 2

Exploits

12 known

Exploitation data as of Oct 23, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

80.8%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-2023-50164 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 50–90% 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

An attacker can manipulate file upload params to enable paths traversal and under some circumstances this can lead to uploading a malicious file which can be used to perform Remote Code Execution. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions Struts 2.5.33 or Struts 6.3.0.2 or greater to fix this issue.

Affected Packages

2 total 2 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.apache.struts:struts2-core`	≥ 2.0.0&&< 2.5.33	2.5.33`org.apache.struts:struts2-core:2.5.33`
☕Maven	`org.apache.struts:struts2-core`	≥ 6.0.0&&< 6.3.0.2	6.3.0.2`org.apache.struts:struts2-core:6.3.0.2`

Affected Products

1 product · 2 configurations

Application

strutsapache

≥ 6.0.0 && < 6.3.0.2

range

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.