CVE-2015-2992 in Struts
Summary
by MITRE
Apache Struts before 2.3.20 has a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/10/2022
The Apache Struts framework represents a widely adopted Java web application development platform that has served as the foundation for numerous enterprise applications across various industries. This particular vulnerability affects versions prior to 2.3.20 and introduces a critical cross-site scripting flaw that can be exploited by malicious actors to execute arbitrary code within the context of a victim's browser. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the framework's core processing components, specifically impacting the way the system handles user-supplied data in HTTP requests.
The technical flaw manifests when the Struts framework fails to properly sanitize or encode user input before rendering it in web pages or response headers. This allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that can be executed by other users who view the affected content. The vulnerability typically occurs during the processing of parameters in action classes, where unvalidated input from HTTP request parameters is directly incorporated into response content without proper sanitization. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that include script tags or other XSS vectors, which then get executed in the browsers of unsuspecting users who encounter the compromised content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or even execute arbitrary commands on the affected server. This represents a significant threat to web application security since many organizations rely on Struts for their business-critical applications, making the potential attack surface quite extensive. The vulnerability can be particularly dangerous in environments where users have elevated privileges or where sensitive data is processed through Struts applications, as it could potentially lead to complete system compromise.
Security professionals should immediately implement mitigation strategies including upgrading to Apache Struts version 2.3.20 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the XSS vulnerability. Additionally, organizations should deploy comprehensive input validation mechanisms and output encoding practices to prevent similar issues in the future. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in software applications, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script execution and T1566 for social engineering attacks that leverage XSS vulnerabilities to compromise user sessions and data. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies as additional defensive measures to protect against exploitation attempts.