Threats / Apache / CVE-2013-2251
CVE-2013-2251
· EUVD no mirror located
· GCVE no mirror located
Verified 2026-06-22
Apache Struts vulnerability
Apache Struts allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary Object-Graph Navigation Language (OGNL) expressions, enabling code execution without authentication.
Verdict
Today item — known-exploited.
Remote code execution vulnerability in Apache Struts via OGNL injection. Attackers can execute arbitrary expressions on affected systems. High exploitability confirmed by active wild exploitation and EPSS score of 0.94.
01
Is it exploitable?
— the evidence, ranked above the scoreReported exploitation
5 independent public reports of in-the-wild exploitation are cataloged.Distinct reporting sources (vendor, incident response, government); open them for the underlying claims.
Exploited in the wild
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2022-03-25).
Probability (EPSS)
EPSS 0.99998 — modeled likelihood of exploitation activity.EPSS is a daily-changing model output — open the source for today's value.
Severity / affected
Affected: Apache, Struts. Confirm exact fixed builds in the vendor advisory.
Weakness (CWE)
Mapped to CWE-20 Improper Input Validation.CWE assignment from the public NVD record; the weakness class drives how the flaw is exploited.
02
Who’s exploiting it?
— attribution turns risk into urgencyAttribution not established
No confirmed (advisory-backed) threat-actor attribution is established for this record. Absence of a named actor is not absence of compromise — see Coverage & confidence.
03
Why it matters
— the attack path, told twice: adversary, then board1
Front door — unauthenticated access narrative 1
Attacker
I craft a malicious request containing OGNL expressions targeting a vulnerable Struts application endpoint.
Business
Web application becomes an entry point for unauthorized code execution within the organization's infrastructure.
2
Keys to the kingdom — privilege/identity takeover narrative 2
Attacker
I execute arbitrary code on the server by injecting OGNL payloads that bypass input validation controls.
Business
Attacker gains ability to read, modify, or delete sensitive data stored on the compromised application server.
3
Lateral reach — past segmentation narrative 3
Attacker
I establish persistence or pivot to other systems on the internal network using the compromised server as a foothold.
Business
Breach scope expands beyond the initial vulnerable application to critical business systems and data repositories.
04
What to do
— defensible action- Remediate per the vendor advisory — confirm the fixed build for your version and verify exposure.1
Say it to the boardA vulnerability with this evidence profile is a defensible budget line, not a backlog ticket — fund the change against the proof above.
05