How severe is CVE-2016-4461?

CVE-2016-4461 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-4461 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 8% (94th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-4461?

CVE-2016-4461 primarily affects Apache Struts. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-4461?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2016-4461 published?

CVE-2016-4461 was published on 2017-10-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-4461

CVE-2016-4461 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apache Struts with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-20.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
CVSS v2: 9.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 8% (94th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Apache Struts
Published: 2017-10-16
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Apache Struts 2.x before 2.3.29 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a "%{}" sequence in a tag attribute, aka forced double OGNL evaluation. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2016-0785.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-4461?: Apache Struts 2.x before 2.3.29 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a "%{}" sequence in a tag attribute, aka forced double OGNL evaluation. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2016-0785.
How severe is CVE-2016-4461?: CVE-2016-4461 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-4461 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 8% (94th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-4461?: CVE-2016-4461 primarily affects Apache Struts. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-4461?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2016-4461 published?: CVE-2016-4461 was published on 2017-10-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:a:apache:struts:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:netapp:oncommand_balance:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Apache Struts

CVE-2013-4316 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Apache Struts 2.0.0 through 2.3.15.1 enables Dynamic Method Invocation by default, which has unknown impact and attack…
CVE-2012-0838 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Apache Struts 2 before 2.2.3.1 evaluates a string as an OGNL expression during the handling of a conversion error,…
CVE-2024-53677 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): File upload logic in Apache Struts is flawed. An attacker can manipulate file upload params to enable paths traversal…
CVE-2023-50164 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An attacker can manipulate file upload params to enable paths traversal and under some circumstances this can lead to…
CVE-2021-31805 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The fix issued for CVE-2020-17530 was incomplete. So from Apache Struts 2.0.0 to 2.5.29, still some of the tag’s…
CVE-2020-17530 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Forced OGNL evaluation, when evaluated on raw user input in tag attributes, may lead to remote code execution. Affected…

All CVEs affecting Apache Struts →

Other CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-48316 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): ColdFusion versions 2025.9, 2023.20 and earlier are affected by an Improper Input Validation vulnerability that could…
CVE-2026-48281 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): ColdFusion versions 2025.9, 2023.20 and earlier are affected by an Improper Input Validation vulnerability that could…
CVE-2026-48277 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): ColdFusion versions 2025.9, 2023.20 and earlier are affected by an Improper Input Validation vulnerability that could…
CVE-2026-48055 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Streambert is a cross-platform Electron Desktop App to stream and download any video media. In versions 2.4.0 and…
CVE-2026-34910 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A malicious actor with access to the network could exploit an Improper Input Validation vulnerability found in UniFi OS…
CVE-2026-33587 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Lack of user input sanitisation in Open Notebook v1.8.3 allows the application user to execute Python code (and…

Browse all CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) vulnerabilities →