CVE-2016-3082 in Struts
Summary
by MITRE
XSLTResult in Apache Struts 2.x before 2.3.20.2, 2.3.24.x before 2.3.24.2, and 2.3.28.x before 2.3.28.1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via the stylesheet location parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/26/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-3082 represents a critical remote code execution flaw within Apache Struts 2 web application framework. This vulnerability specifically affects XSLTResult functionality, which is used to transform XML data using XSLT stylesheets for generating dynamic content in web applications. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization of the stylesheet location parameter, creating a path traversal and code execution vector that can be exploited by remote attackers without authentication. The affected versions include several major release lines of Apache Struts 2, making this vulnerability particularly widespread across enterprise web applications that rely on this framework for their backend processing.
The technical flaw manifests when the XSLTResult component processes user-supplied input through the stylesheet location parameter without proper validation of the provided path. This allows attackers to manipulate the input to reference arbitrary local files or remote resources that can be executed as code. The vulnerability leverages the inherent capabilities of XSLT processing to include external resources, potentially enabling attackers to execute malicious code on the server hosting the vulnerable Struts application. The flaw operates at the application layer and can be exploited through HTTP requests that contain crafted parameters targeting the XSLTResult functionality, making it particularly dangerous as it requires no special privileges or authentication to exploit.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-3082 is severe and potentially catastrophic for affected organizations. Successful exploitation can result in complete compromise of the affected web server, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the web application server process. This can lead to data breaches, system infiltration, and the potential for lateral movement within network environments. The vulnerability has been widely exploited in the wild, with numerous reported compromises of web applications using vulnerable versions of Apache Struts 2. Organizations running affected versions face significant risk of unauthorized access, data exfiltration, and potential system takeover, making this vulnerability a critical concern for enterprise security teams and IT administrators.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to patched versions of Apache Struts 2, specifically versions 2.3.20.2, 2.3.24.2, and 2.3.28.1, which contain the necessary security fixes for this vulnerability. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive vulnerability scanning to identify all instances of affected Struts versions within the organization's infrastructure. Additionally, implementing network-level restrictions to prevent access to potentially vulnerable endpoints and deploying web application firewalls can provide additional protective layers. Security teams should also conduct thorough code reviews to ensure no custom implementations of XSLTResult functionality exist that might be vulnerable to similar issues. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-22 Path Traversal and CWE-94 Code Injection categories, and represents a technique commonly associated with attack patterns described in the ATT&CK framework under T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter.