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CVE-2017-5638 CISA KEV — actively exploited Ransomware-linked

Apache Struts Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Apache Software Foundation — Apache Struts

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.

CVSS scoreCritical

9.8

EPSS — exploitation probabilityCritical

100.0%

Vector breakdown

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Published
Mar 11, 2017
Modified
Jun 17, 2026
Added to KEV
Nov 3, 2021
Federal patch due
May 3, 2022

CISA required action

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Weakness classification

CWE-755Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions

Affected packages

org.apache.struts:struts2-coremaven
GHSA-j77q-2qqg-6989

Proof-of-concept & exploitation references

8 found

Weaponization

Nuclei template

Available

Metasploit module

Not found

Public repositories whose name or description references CVE-2017-5638, found via a live GitHub search at request time. These are community-sourced signals, not a verified working exploit — cross-check each one before relying on it, and treat higher star counts and recent activity as (weak) corroboration, not proof.

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-5638?

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.

How severe is CVE-2017-5638?

CVE-2017-5638 has a CVSS base score of 9.8 out of 10 (CVSS 3.1).

Is CVE-2017-5638 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. CVE-2017-5638 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added Nov 3, 2021, meaning CISA has confirmed evidence of active exploitation. It is also flagged as used in ransomware campaigns.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2017-5638?

100.0% - meaning FIRST.org's EPSS model estimates a 100.0% probability this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within 30 days (100% percentile among all scored CVEs).

Is there exploit tooling available for CVE-2017-5638?

Yes - a public Nuclei template referencing CVE-2017-5638 exist in public repositories we checked. We also found 8 public GitHub repositories referencing this CVE.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2017-5638?

CVE-2017-5638 is classified under CWE-755 (CWE-755 Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions).

Cross-checked against

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