CVE-2014-7809: Struts2 core Cross-Site Request Forgery Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-h4v9-jf2r-9h6m
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CWE-352
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2014-7809 is a MODERATE cross-site request forgery vulnerability (CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)) affecting Struts2 core libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves cross-site request forgery in apache struts. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.3.20.

CVE-2014-7809 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2014-7809
GHSA Identifier GHSA-h4v9-jf2r-9h6m
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
Affected Product Struts2 core
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2014-7809

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Struts2 core dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

org.apache.struts:struts2-core fixed: 2.3.20 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.struts</groupId>
    <artifactId>struts2-core</artifactId>
    <version>2.3.20</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.struts

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2014-7809, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.struts

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Struts2 core in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.3.20), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.struts command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF), where the web application does not, or cannot, sufficiently verify whether a request was intentionally provided by the user who sent the request, which could have originated from an unauthorized actor. In Struts2 core, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

Apache Struts 2.0.0 through 2.3.x before 2.3.20 uses predictable <s:token/> values, which allows remote attackers to bypass the CSRF protection mechanism.

CVE-2014-7809 Affected Struts2 core Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.3.20
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.struts:struts2-core
maven/org.apache.struts/struts2-core
Maven
< 2.3.20
2.3.20

References

NVD — CVE-2014-7809 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-7809
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/apache/struts/commit/1f301038a751bf16e525607c3db513db835b2999
Struts2 core Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/apache/struts
Struts2 core Security Information SECURITY
https://web.archive.org/web/20150201180327/http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1031309
Struts2 core Security Information SECURITY
https://web.archive.org/web/20150820131625/http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/71548
Struts2 core Security Information SECURITY
https://web.archive.org/web/20201023114849/http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/534175/100/0/threaded
Struts2 core Security Information SECURITY
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/129421/Apache-Struts-2.3.20-Security-Fixes.html
struts.apache.org/docs/s2-023.html WEB
http://struts.apache.org/docs/s2-023.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2014-7809?
CVE-2014-7809 is a security vulnerability in Struts2 core involving Cross-Site Request Forgery in Apache Struts under CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF).
Which Struts2 core versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.3.20 across affected packages: org.apache.struts:struts2-core.
What version fixes CVE-2014-7809?
Upgrading to 2.3.20 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is struts2-core affected?
Yes, org.apache.struts:struts2-core is affected in releases prior to 2.3.20. Upgrade your dependency to 2.3.20 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2014-7809?
CVE-2014-7809 is classified under CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) (The web application does not, or cannot, sufficiently verify whether a request was intentionally provided by the user who sent the request, which could have originated from an unauthorized actor.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2014-7809?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.struts'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-h4v9-jf2r-9h6m",
  "modified" : "2023-12-28T19:18:19Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-14T02:50:59Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2014-7809" ],
  "summary" : "Cross-Site Request Forgery in Apache Struts",
  "details" : "Apache Struts 2.0.0 through 2.3.x before 2.3.20 uses predictable <s:token/> values, which allows remote attackers to bypass the CSRF protection mechanism.",
  "severity" : [ ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.struts:struts2-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.3.20"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-7809"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/struts/commit/1f301038a751bf16e525607c3db513db835b2999"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/struts"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20150201180327/http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1031309"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20150820131625/http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/71548"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20201023114849/http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/534175/100/0/threaded"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/129421/Apache-Struts-2.3.20-Security-Fixes.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://struts.apache.org/docs/s2-023.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-352" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-11-03T20:34:17Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2014-12-10T15:59:00Z"
  }
}