CVE-2017-5638
9.8 · CRITICAL Actively ExploitedOverview
CVE-2017-5638 is a critical-severity vulnerability affecting apache struts. It was published on March 11, 2017 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). This vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, indicating active exploitation in the wild.
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8, rated CRITICAL. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
Technical Description
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.
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from apache. Update struts to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| apache | struts | >= 2.2.3, < 2.3.32 | Affected |
| arubanetworks | clearpass_policy_manager | >= 0, < 6.6.5 | Affected |
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2017-5638?
CVE-2017-5638 is a critical-severity vulnerability affecting apache struts. It was published on March 11, 2017 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). This vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, indicating active exploitation in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2017-5638?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8, rated CRITICAL. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2017-5638?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from apache. Update struts to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2017-5638?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2017-5638 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
How CyberStrike Helps
AI agents map your attack surface to find vulnerabilities like this one.
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