CVE-2017-5638: Apache Struts Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Reference page built from the source records below, each shown as its source publishes it. Dataset version ref-e66b9e76306d, updated 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z.

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

Name
Apache Struts Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Vendor
Apache
Product
Struts
Added to the catalog
2021-11-03
Due date for US federal agencies
2022-05-03
Weaknesses
CWE-20
Catalog version
2026.10.30

Apache Struts Jakarta Multipart parser allows for malicious file upload using the Content-Type value, leading to remote code execution.

Required action (CISA)

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Ransomware use: CISA marks this vulnerability as known to be used in ransomware campaigns. CISA does not say which group used it.

Links in CISA's notes

Read on 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z under licence cisa-kev-cc0@b0067899 from https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json

NVD analysis

Status
Analyzed
Published
2017-03-11T02:59:00.150
Last modified
2026-06-17T01:20:54.013
Weaknesses
CWE-755

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.

MetricScoreSeverityVectorScored by
CVSS 3.19.8CRITICALCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H[email protected] (Primary)
CVSS 3.19.8CRITICALCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 (Secondary)
CVSS 2.010HIGHAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C[email protected] (Primary)

References

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.

Read on 2026-11-02T23:41:35.381Z under licence nvd-api-terms-of-use@ff2a5288 from https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?cveId=CVE-2017-5638

CVE record

Assigner
apache
State
PUBLISHED
Published
2017-03-11T02:11:00.000Z
Updated
2025-10-21T23:55:46.106Z
Problem types
n/a

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.

References

Read on 2026-11-03T00:35:13.528Z under licence cve-terms-of-use@81bfa2f3 from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2017/5xxx/CVE-2017-5638.json

Also known as / affected packages

Detection rules (SigmaHQ)

SigmaHQ rules whose own tags name this CVE. Each rule page shows the rule as its author published it.

Defensive techniques (MITRE D3FEND)

D3FEND maps these defensive techniques to the weakness (CWE) that NVD lists for this CVE, through the digital artifacts the weakness affects. D3FEND does not say they stop this vulnerability.

CWE-755: Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions

D3FEND lists no defensive technique for this weakness.

D3FEND ontology version 1.6.0.

Read on 2026-11-03T00:02:48.486Z under licence d3fend-terms-of-use@f98cbc7e from https://d3fend.mitre.org/api/weakness/cwe/CWE-755.json

MITRE D3FEND™ knowledge graph. © 2025 The MITRE Corporation.
"The MITRE Corporation (MITRE) hereby grants you a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use D3FEND for research, development, and commercial purposes. Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy." Terms: https://d3fend.mitre.org/tou/

Sources and licences

  • CISA

    Source: CISA Catalog of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, version 2026.10.30, CC0 1.0. Use of this data does not imply endorsement by CISA or DHS.

    CC0 1.0 Universal

  • National Vulnerability Database (NIST)

    This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.

    NVD API Terms of Use (NIST publications in the public domain, 17 U.S.C. 105)

  • CVE Program, The MITRE Corporation

    Copyright © 1999-2026, The MITRE Corporation. CVE is a trademark and the CVE logo is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation. CVE Usage: MITRE hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE™). Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

    CVE Program Terms of Use ("CVE Usage" licence)

  • GitHub Advisory Database via OSV.dev

    GHSA-j77q-2qqg-6989: GitHub Advisory Database, https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-j77q-2qqg-6989. Licensed CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), provided as is, without warranties. Retrieved via OSV.dev (https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-j77q-2qqg-6989), which enriches records; fields selected and reformatted by ransomware-tracker.com.

    CC BY 4.0

  • SigmaHQ

    "Potential OGNL Injection Exploitation In JVM Based Application" by Moti Harmats (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/application/jvm/java_ognl_injection_exploitation_attempt.yml.
    Licensed under the Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/Detection-Rule-License

    Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1

  • MITRE D3FEND

    MITRE D3FEND™ knowledge graph. © 2025 The MITRE Corporation.
    "The MITRE Corporation (MITRE) hereby grants you a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use D3FEND for research, development, and commercial purposes. Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy." Terms: https://d3fend.mitre.org/tou/

    MITRE D3FEND Terms of Use (site + knowledge graph); source repo MIT

Cite this page

Dragons Eye Ransomware Tracker, "CVE-2017-5638: Apache Struts Remote Code Execution Vulnerability",
entity page, dataset version ref-e66b9e76306d, updated 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/cve/CVE-2017-5638 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: CISA Catalog of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, version 2026.10.30.
Underlying source: National Vulnerability Database (NIST), CVE API 2.0, record last modified 2026-06-17T01:20:54.013.
Underlying source: CVE List (CVE Program, The MITRE Corporation), record updated 2025-10-21T23:55:46.106Z.
Underlying source: GitHub Advisory Database, GHSA-j77q-2qqg-6989, via OSV.dev, modified 2025-10-22T19:26:35.824413Z.
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 4d0af518-828e-4a04-a751-a7d03f3046ad, commit ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84.
Underlying source: MITRE D3FEND, ontology version 1.6.0.

Pages change. The dataset version identifies the data, but no archive of old versions is kept, so this citation cannot be replayed later.

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