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 version 2.5.33 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-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 93.7%, 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.

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 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-2023-50164

CRITICAL

Apache Struts vulnerable to path traversal

Also known asGHSA-2j39-qcjm-428w

Published

Dec 7, 2023

Updated

Mar 14, 2026

Affected

2 pkgs

Patched

2 / 2

Exploits

12 known

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

93.7%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Very High Risk100th percentile+0.76%

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

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
☕Maven	`org.apache.struts:struts2-core`	≥ 6.0.0&&< 6.3.0.2	6.3.0.2

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.