CVE-2015-5169: Struts2 core Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-vwhv-j36g-5rm8
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CVSS 6.1
CWE-79
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2015-5169 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.1) cross-site scripting vulnerability (CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')) affecting Struts2 core libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves cross-site scripting in apache struts. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.3.20.

CVE-2015-5169 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2015-5169
GHSA Identifier GHSA-vwhv-j36g-5rm8
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.1
CWE Classification CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Affected Product Struts2 core
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.1

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Changed (S:C)
Confidentiality Low (C:L)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2015-5169

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-2015-5169, 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-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting'), where the product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users. 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

When the Struts2 debug mode is turned on, under certain conditions an arbitrary script may be executed in the 'Problem Report' screen. Also if JSP files are exposed to be accessed directly it's possible to execute an arbitrary script. It is generally not advisable to have debug mode switched on outside of the development environment. Debug mode should always be turned off in production setup. Also never expose JSPs files directly and hide them inside WEB-INF folder or define dedicated security constraints to block access to raw JSP files. Struts >= 2.3.20 is not vulnerable to this attack. We recommend upgrading to Struts 2.3.20 or higher.

CVE-2015-5169 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-2015-5169 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-5169
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1260087
Struts2 core Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/apache/struts
Struts2 core Security Information SECURITY
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20180629-0003
struts.apache.org/docs/s2-025.html WEB
https://struts.apache.org/docs/s2-025.html
jvn.jp/en/jp/jvn95989300/i... WEB
http://jvn.jp/en/jp/JVN95989300/index.html
jvndb.jvn.jp/en/contents/2015/jv... WEB
http://jvndb.jvn.jp/en/contents/2015/JVNDB-2015-000125.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2015-5169?
CVE-2015-5169 is a security vulnerability in Struts2 core involving Cross-site Scripting in Apache Struts under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting').
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-2015-5169?
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 is the CVSS score of CVE-2015-5169?
CVE-2015-5169 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.1 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2015-5169?
CVE-2015-5169 is classified under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') (The product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2015-5169?
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-vwhv-j36g-5rm8",
  "modified" : "2022-11-03T23:01:19Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-14T01:57:02Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2015-5169" ],
  "summary" : "Cross-site Scripting in Apache Struts",
  "details" : "When the Struts2 debug mode is turned on, under certain conditions an arbitrary script may be executed in the 'Problem Report' screen. Also if JSP files are exposed to be accessed directly it's possible to execute an arbitrary script. \n\nIt is generally not advisable to have debug mode switched on outside of the development environment. Debug mode should always be turned off in production setup. Also never expose JSPs files directly and hide them inside WEB-INF folder or define dedicated security constraints to block access to raw JSP files.\n\nStruts >= 2.3.20 is not vulnerable to this attack. We recommend upgrading to Struts 2.3.20 or higher.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N"
  } ],
  "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-2015-5169"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1260087"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/struts"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20180629-0003"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://struts.apache.org/docs/s2-025.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://jvn.jp/en/jp/JVN95989300/index.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://jvndb.jvn.jp/en/contents/2015/JVNDB-2015-000125.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-79" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-11-03T23:01:19Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2017-09-25T21:29:00Z"
  }
}