`CVE-2012-0391` Apache Struts

Affected software	Apache Struts
Severity	9.8 Critical CVSS 3.1 3 scores
Fixed in	`2.2.3.1`
Weakness	Code injection (CWE-94)
Published	8 Jan 2012
Updated	29 Sep 2026

Description

The ExceptionDelegator component in Apache Struts before 2.2.3.1 interprets parameter values as OGNL expressions during certain exception handling for mismatched data types of properties, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary Java code via a crafted parameter.

CWE-20 · Improper input validation

Exploitation status

Exploited

Confirmed real-world exploitation.

CISA KEV listed Confirmed exploitation in the wild. Added 2022-01-21 · remediation due 2022-07-21 · ransomware use: unknown
VulnCheck KEV listed Exploitation reported in the wild. 2 citations · earliest 2021-10-13.
CISA Vulnrichment exploitation: active CISA records active exploitation. Automatable: yes, technical impact: total.
Indexed PoC 3 indexed Published artifacts you can open, in Exploit-DB, Metasploit; first seen 2012-01-06.
EPSS 76% chance in 30 days A model's forecast, not a report of exploitation. Higher than 99.5% of all scored CVEs.

VulnCheck KEV

Exploitation evidence from VulnCheck Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (VulnCheck KEV), used under VulnCheck's community terms. View CVE-2012-0391 in VulnCheck (free account).

Evidence	Source	Detail	Date
Reported exploitation	fortiguard.com	/encyclopedia/ips/30956	2021-10-13
Reported exploitation	cisa.gov	/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json	2022-01-21

Evidence

Source

Detail

Date

Reported exploitation

fortiguard.com

/encyclopedia/ips/30956

2021-10-13

Reported exploitation

cisa.gov

/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json

2022-01-21

Index	Artifact	First seen
Exploit-DB	Apache Struts 2.2.1.1 - Remote Command Execution (Metasploit)	2012-06-05
Exploit-DB	Apache Struts 2 < 2.3.1 - Multiple Vulnerabilities	2012-01-06
Metasploit	Apache Struts Remote Command Execution (excellent rank)

Index

Artifact

Stars

First seen

Exploit-DB

Apache Struts 2.2.1.1 - Remote Command Execution (Metasploit)

2012-06-05

Exploit-DB

Apache Struts 2 < 2.3.1 - Multiple Vulnerabilities

2012-01-06

Metasploit

Apache Struts Remote Command Execution (excellent rank)

Waratek protection

Protected by Waratek

Waratek has a rule that blocks attacks on this vulnerability.

Protection full Process, Filesystem
Action available security rule
Review human Researcher
Record active

Decided by	A researcher's recorded decision for this specific CVE
Finding	A researcher found this CVE protected by the ARMR Process rule, ARMR Filesystem Write.

Decided by

A researcher's recorded decision for this specific CVE

Finding

A researcher found this CVE protected by the ARMR Process rule, ARMR Filesystem Write.

Waratek research note

written 2026-11-13

Written by a Waratek engineer who reviewed this CVE. Their decision sets the status above, ahead of every automated rule except a withdrawal.

Comments

Rule Name: ARMR Process rule, ARMR Filesystem Write

OGNL injection via the Struts conversion-error override expression. The Process rule (with /bin/* in its execute list) blocks the Runtime.exec payloads; a filesystem write rule on the server working directory and web root blocks the Java target's JAR and JSP drops. An expression that reads files or data directly in Java, without starting a program or writing a file there, is not stopped.

How to mitigate CVE-2012-0391

Upgrade Apache Struts to 2.2.3.1 or later. Until you can, Waratek RASP blocks exploitation with its process and filesystem rules. It runs inside the Java application, with no code changes.

Waratek RASP Runtime protection for Java applications

CVSS

9.8 CRITICAL v3.1 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H 3 metrics

We show the highest score from the newest CVSS version. Scores from different versions can't be compared, and the first score listed is sometimes a 0.0 placeholder.

Version Score Band Vector Assigner Type

CVSS 3.1 9.8 CRITICAL CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H NVD Primary published

CVSS 3.1 9.8 CRITICAL CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H CISA-ADP Secondary

CVSS 2.0 9.3 none AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C NVD Primary

Version	Score	Band	Vector	Assigner	Type
CVSS 3.1	9.8	CRITICAL	`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`	NVD	Primary	published
CVSS 3.1	9.8	CRITICAL	`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`	CISA-ADP	Secondary
CVSS 2.0	9.3	none	`AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`	NVD	Primary

Affected software and releases

Maven packages

Affected and fixed versions, from OSV.dev

Package Introduced Fixed Last affected

org.apache.struts:struts2-core 0 2.2.3.1 unbounded

org.apache.struts.xwork:xwork-core 0 2.2.3.1 unbounded

Package	Introduced	Fixed	Last affected
`org.apache.struts:struts2-core`	0	`2.2.3.1`	unbounded
`org.apache.struts.xwork:xwork-core`	0	`2.2.3.1`	unbounded

Products and versions

3 products, 3 version entries

Source	Vendor	Product	Scheme	Affected versions
nvd	apache	struts	generic	＜ 2.2.3.1
osv	org.apache.struts	struts2-core	generic	＜ 2.2.3.1
osv	org.apache.struts.xwork	xwork-core	generic	＜ 2.2.3.1

Source

Vendor

Product

Scheme

Affected versions

nvd

apache

struts

generic

＜ 2.2.3.1

osv

org.apache.struts

struts2-core

generic

＜ 2.2.3.1

osv

org.apache.struts.xwork

xwork-core

generic

＜ 2.2.3.1

References

URL	Tags
https://github.com/apache/struts/commit/25e50069d60434a30395e3a98357ffba2bed427e	WEB
https://github.com/apache/struts/commit/5f54b8d087f5125d96838aafa5f64c2190e6885b	WEB
https://github.com/apache/struts/commit/b4265d369dc29d57a9f2846a85b26598e83f3892	WEB
https://github.com/apache/struts	PACKAGE
https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/WW-3668	WEB
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2012-0391	WEB
https://www.sec-consult.com/files/20120104-0_Apache_Struts2_Multiple_Critical_Vulnerabilities.txt	WEB
http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/bugtraq/2012-01/0031.html	WEB
http://secunia.com/advisories/47393	WEB
http://struts.apache.org/2.x/docs/s2-008.html	WEB

URL

Timeline

Published	2012-01-08	By the CVE Program.
VulnCheck KEV: earliest evidence	2021-10-13	Date of the oldest evidence of exploitation in VulnCheck KEV's record. VulnCheck does not publish the date it listed the CVE.
Added to CISA KEV	2022-01-21	Listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
VulnCheck KEV: latest evidence	2022-01-21	Date of the newest report, exploit reference or honeypot sighting in VulnCheck KEV's record.
NVD record modified	2026-06-16	NVD's own last-modified date for this record.
Last VRT activity	2026-09-29	Most recent commit touching this CVE's classification, patch or rule file.
Classification created	2026-11-13	First commit adding this CVE's research note.

Published

2012-01-08

By the CVE Program.

VulnCheck KEV: earliest evidence

2021-10-13

Date of the oldest evidence of exploitation in VulnCheck KEV's record. VulnCheck does not publish the date it listed the CVE.

Added to CISA KEV

2022-01-21

Listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

VulnCheck KEV: latest evidence

2022-01-21

Date of the newest report, exploit reference or honeypot sighting in VulnCheck KEV's record.

NVD record modified

2026-06-16

NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

Last VRT activity

2026-09-29

Most recent commit touching this CVE's classification, patch or rule file.

Classification created

2026-11-13

First commit adding this CVE's research note.

How VRT decided (4 of 24 rules ran)

4 of 24 rules ran. The rest didn't run because an earlier rule had already settled the CVE.

# Rule Outcome Status Detail

identity: Does this identifier describe a vulnerability at all? the first rule that matches decides

1 rejected no match CVE Program withdrawal of this identifier

scope: Is it a vulnerability Waratek protects? the first rule that matches decides

2 armr-patch-file no match An ARMR patch file on disk for this CVE

3 armr-secure-rule-file no match An ARMR security-rule template on disk for this CVE

4 manual-classification decided it matched Protected by Waratek A researcher found this CVE protected by the ARMR Process rule, ARMR Filesystem Write.

5 manual classification not reached Manual classification of this CVE in the legacy dataset

6 non-java-upstream not reached A root cause in non-Java code: an OS kernel, a C library, or a bundled runtime

7 oracle-component not reached The defect being in a component of a tracked product the agent does not reach: JavaFX, the Java SE installer, the JInitiator browser plug-in, the native WebLogic proxy plug-in, or a native part of Oracle Application Server or Collaboration Suite (HTTP Server, Web Cache, Internet Directory, mail and calendar servers). Oracle gives these no CPE of their own and names them only in the description.

8 java-client-side not reached Oracle's own risk-matrix note saying the CVE is reached only through untrusted code in the Java sandbox (applets, Web Start) or only through a client installation of Java, so a server running its own trusted code is not exposed

9 osv-maven not reached An OSV.dev record of this CVE affecting a package published to Maven Central. When every such package is one business applications do not use (Minecraft mods and launchers, Fastjson) and no tracked product is named by CPE, it settles the CVE as Outside Waratek scope instead

10 cna-maven-package not reached An affected Maven artifact named by the CNA itself

11 known-cpe-product not reached An NVD CPE naming a product ARMR tracks

12 cna-cpe-product not reached A CPE the CNA published naming a tracked product. Oracle publishes these on advisory day, months before NVD.

13 oracle-advisory-family not reached A tracked product family named in Oracle's own risk matrix. CPE cannot carry a suite name, only a module.

14 cna-named-product not reached A tracked product named in words by the CVE's own CNA, on a record with no CPE yet. Apache and Eclipse publish these on advisory day, before NVD adds CPE data.

15 non-deployable-product not reached The only affected product being a sealed appliance image, where Java runs but no -javaagent can be attached

16 unmatched-product not reached No tracked product matched above, and none present at all

disposition: What do we do about one that is? every rule runs

17 patch-hint not reached A reference pointing at the upstream fix: a commit, a PR, a Red Hat bug

18 open-source-maven not reached The affected package being open source on Maven, so the fix can be read

19 poc-derivable not reached An indexed exploit clearing the evidence bar to reverse-engineer, where there is no source to read

20 no-exploit not reached Nothing to build a rule from yet: no published exploit, no CISA record of exploitation and no source-level change to read

21 secure-rule-match not reached A vulnerability class already blocked by an ARMR security rule

22 exploited-no-fix-or-poc not reached Somebody exploiting this CVE (a CISA or VulnCheck KEV listing, or a CISA verdict of active exploitation), with no fix, source code or PoC to build a rule from

23 below-action-threshold not reached Medium or Low severity, no CISA or VulnCheck KEV listing, no PoC clearing the evidence bar, no CISA verdict, no Oracle advisory

24 no-exploit-published not reached Exploit code for this candidate, published in a reviewed catalogue or a GitHub repository with 5 or more stars, or in use per CISA or VulnCheck; not only a CISA verdict, a forecast, or nothing at all

NVD ↗ · CVE.org ↗