`CVE-2025-68493` Apache Struts

Affected software	Apache Struts
Severity	8.1 High CVSS 3.1 3 scores
Fixed in	`6.1.1`
Weakness	XML external entity (XXE) (CWE-611)
Published	11 Jan 2026
Updated	15 Jul 2026

Description

Missing XML Validation vulnerability in Apache Struts, Apache Struts. This issue affects Apache Struts: from 2.0.0 before 2.2.1; Apache Struts: from 2.2.1 through 6.1.0. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 6.1.1, which fixes the issue.

CWE-112

Exploitation status

Exploited

Real-world exploitation reported by VulnCheck KEV. CISA has not confirmed it.

CISA KEV not listed
VulnCheck KEV listed Exploitation reported in the wild. 1 citation · honeypot sightings · earliest 2026-07-20.
CISA Vulnrichment exploitation: none
Indexed PoC 2 indexed Published artifacts you can open, in GitHub PoC, Nuclei; first seen 2026-02-04.
EPSS 50% chance in 30 days A model's forecast, not a report of exploitation. Higher than 99% of all scored CVEs.

VulnCheck KEV

Exploitation evidence from VulnCheck Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (VulnCheck KEV), used under VulnCheck's community terms. View CVE-2025-68493 in VulnCheck (free account).

Evidence	Source	Detail	Date
Honeypot sighting	Shadowserver honeypots	Exploitation attempts seen on 13 days	2026-07-20 to 2026-11-10
Reported exploitation	previdian.com	/CVE-2025-68493	2026-07-20

Evidence

Source

Detail

Date

Honeypot sighting

Shadowserver honeypots

Exploitation attempts seen on 13 days

2026-07-20 to 2026-11-10

Reported exploitation

previdian.com

/CVE-2025-68493

2026-07-20

1 of these are GitHub repositories with fewer than 5 stars. They are listed for reference and don't count toward the exploitation status above.

Index	Artifact	Stars	First seen
GitHub PoC	CVE-2025-68493	2	2026-02-04
Nuclei	Apache Struts XWork - XML External Entity Injection

Index

Artifact

Stars

First seen

GitHub PoC

CVE-2025-68493

2026-02-04

Nuclei

Apache Struts XWork - XML External Entity Injection

Waratek protection

Protected by Waratek

Waratek has a rule that blocks attacks on this vulnerability.

Protection full XXE
Action available security rule
Review automated Inferred
Record active

Decided by	A vulnerability class already blocked by an ARMR security rule
Finding	Protected by Waratek's ARMR xxe security rule, which blocks this class of attack at the JVM level without a rule written for this CVE specifically. The CVE's weakness is CWE-611: XML External Entity Reference.
Candidate fix	https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2428559 : a Red Hat bug: the triage, which links onward to the fix

Decided by

A vulnerability class already blocked by an ARMR security rule

Finding

Protected by Waratek's ARMR xxe security rule, which blocks this class of attack at the JVM level without a rule written for this CVE specifically. The CVE's weakness is CWE-611: XML External Entity Reference.

Candidate fix

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2428559 : a Red Hat bug: the triage, which links onward to the fix

How to mitigate CVE-2025-68493

Upgrade Apache Struts to 6.1.1 or later. Until you can, Waratek RASP blocks exploitation with its XXE rule. It runs inside the Java application, with no code changes.

Waratek RASP Runtime protection for Java applications

CVSS

8.1 HIGH v3.1 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 8.1 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H NVD Primary published

CVSS 3.1 8.1 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H CISA-ADP Secondary

CVSS 3.1 7.1 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:L redhat-SADP Secondary

Version	Score	Band	Vector	Assigner	Type
CVSS 3.1	8.1	HIGH	`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H`	NVD	Primary	published
CVSS 3.1	8.1	HIGH	`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H`	CISA-ADP	Secondary
CVSS 3.1	7.1	HIGH	`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:L`	redhat-SADP	Secondary

Affected software and releases

Maven packages

Affected and fixed versions, from OSV.dev

Package Introduced Fixed Last affected

org.apache.struts:struts2-core 2.0.0 none 2.3.37

org.apache.struts:struts2-core 2.5.0 none 2.5.33

org.apache.struts:struts2-core 6.0.0 6.1.1 unbounded

com.opensymphony:xwork 2.0.0 none unbounded

org.apache.struts.xwork:xwork-core 2.2.1 none unbounded

Package	Introduced	Fixed	Last affected
`org.apache.struts:struts2-core`	2.0.0	none	2.3.37
`org.apache.struts:struts2-core`	2.5.0	none	2.5.33
`org.apache.struts:struts2-core`	6.0.0	`6.1.1`	unbounded
`com.opensymphony:xwork`	2.0.0	none	unbounded
`org.apache.struts.xwork:xwork-core`	2.2.1	none	unbounded

Products and versions

4 products, 8 version entries

Source	Vendor	Product	Scheme	Affected versions
nvd	apache	struts	generic	≥ 2.0.0 and ≤ 2.3.37 · ≥ 2.5.0 and ≤ 2.5.33 · ≥ 6.0.0 and ＜ 6.1.1
osv	com.opensymphony	xwork	generic	≥ 2.0.0
osv	org.apache.struts	struts2-core	generic	≥ 2.0.0 and ≤ 2.3.37 · ≥ 2.5.0 and ≤ 2.5.33 · ≥ 6.0.0 and ＜ 6.1.1
osv	org.apache.struts.xwork	xwork-core	generic	≥ 2.2.1

Source

Vendor

Product

Scheme

Affected versions

nvd

apache

struts

generic

≥ 2.0.0 and ≤ 2.3.37 · ≥ 2.5.0 and ≤ 2.5.33 · ≥ 6.0.0 and ＜ 6.1.1

osv

com.opensymphony

xwork

generic

≥ 2.0.0

osv

org.apache.struts

struts2-core

generic

≥ 2.0.0 and ≤ 2.3.37 · ≥ 2.5.0 and ≤ 2.5.33 · ≥ 6.0.0 and ＜ 6.1.1

osv

org.apache.struts.xwork

xwork-core

generic

≥ 2.2.1

References

URL	Tags
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2428559	bugzilla
https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/WW/S2-069	WEB
https://github.com/apache/struts	PACKAGE
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/11/2	WEB
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-68493
https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2025/cve-2025-68493.json

URL

Timeline

Published	2026-01-11	By the CVE Program.
NVD record modified	2026-07-15	NVD's own last-modified date for this record.
VulnCheck KEV: earliest evidence	2026-07-20	Date of the oldest evidence of exploitation in VulnCheck KEV's record. VulnCheck does not publish the date it listed the CVE.
VulnCheck KEV: latest evidence	2026-11-10	Date of the newest report, exploit reference or honeypot sighting in VulnCheck KEV's record.

Published

2026-01-11

By the CVE Program.

NVD record modified

2026-07-15

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

VulnCheck KEV: earliest evidence

2026-07-20

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

VulnCheck KEV: latest evidence

2026-11-10

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

How VRT decided (17 of 24 rules ran)

17 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 no match A researcher's recorded decision for this specific CVE

5 manual classification no match Manual classification of this CVE in the legacy dataset

6 non-java-upstream no match A root cause in non-Java code: an OS kernel, a C library, or a bundled runtime

7 oracle-component no match 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 no match 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 matched In scope Maven packages: org.apache.struts:struts2-core, com.opensymphony:xwork, org.apache.struts.xwork:xwork-core

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 matched Mitigation candidate References include candidate fix URL (bugzilla tier): https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2428559

18 open-source-maven skipped The affected package being open source on Maven, so the fix can be read

19 poc-derivable skipped An indexed exploit clearing the evidence bar to reverse-engineer, where there is no source to read

20 no-exploit skipped 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 decided it matched Protected by Waratek CWE-611 (XML External Entity Reference) is mitigable by an ARMR xxe security rule.

22 exploited-no-fix-or-poc skipped 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 skipped 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 skipped 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

Products the scope rules checked

The products this CVE's record names, and whether VRT tracks each one. The scope rules decided on these.

Vendor Product Tracked CPE Source

apache struts tracked cpe:2.3:a:apache:struts:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

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