CVE-2017-12611

CRITICALNVD 9.89.8—Weaponized

9.8

In Apache Struts 2.0.0 through 2.3.33 and 2.5 through 2.5.10.1, using an unintentional expression in a Freemarker tag instead of string literals can lead to a RCE attack.

CVSS v3: 9.8
EG Score: 9.8(high)
EPSS: 99.9%
KEV: Not listed

Published

September 20, 2017

Last Modified

May 13, 2026

Advisory Details (2)

Auto-updated May 17, 2026

No patch confirmed yet.

generic

S2-053 - Apache Struts 2 Wiki - Apache Software Foundation

https://struts.apache.org/docs/s2-053.html

generic

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/100829

Affected Packages

(1 across 1 ecosystem)

Maven(1)

Package	Vulnerable range	Fixed in	Dependents
org.apache.struts:struts2-core	2.5 ... 2.5.8 (7 versions)	2.5.11	—

Data Freshness Timeline

(refreshed 3× in last 7d / 18× in last 30d)

Every time one of our enrichment pipelines (NVD, MITRE cvelistV5, EPSS, CISA KEV, GHSA, OSV, vendor advisories) ran against this CVE. Most recent first.

2026-05-30 22:53 UTCOSV refresh
2026-05-28 13:42 UTCepss_batch
2026-05-28 13:42 UTCepss_batch
2026-05-22 21:15 UTCepss_batch
2026-05-22 21:15 UTCepss_batch
2026-05-22 21:15 UTCepss_batch
2026-05-20 09:07 UTCEG score recompute
2026-05-20 05:21 UTCEG score recompute
2026-05-20 01:37 UTCEG score recompute
2026-05-19 21:53 UTCEG score recompute
2026-05-19 18:09 UTCEG score recompute
2026-05-19 14:25 UTCEG score recompute
2026-05-19 10:41 UTCEG score recompute
2026-05-19 06:56 UTCEG score recompute
2026-05-19 03:12 UTCEG score recompute
2026-05-18 23:25 UTCEG score recompute
2026-05-18 21:30 UTCepss_batch
2026-05-18 21:30 UTCepss_batch

Publicly available exploits

(3 references)

Working exploit code is in the public domain (1 GitHub PoC) (1 Exploit-DB entry). Defenders should treat patch urgency accordingly — public PoCs typically lead to mass-exploitation within 24-72 hours.

Exploit-DBEDB-44556✓ verified
First seen Sep 8, 2017
Apache Struts 2.0.1 < 2.3.33 / 2.5 < 2.5.10 - Arbitrary Code Execution
Open source ↗
GitHub PoCbrianwrf/S2-053-CVE-2017-12611
First seen Sep 8, 2017
A simple script for exploit RCE for Struts 2 S2-053(CVE-2017-12611)
Open source ↗
Nucleihttp/cves/2017/CVE-2017-12611.yaml
First seen Jan 1, 2017
Apache Struts2 S2-053 - Remote Code Execution
Open source ↗

Frequently asked(5)

What is CVE-2017-12611?

CVE-2017-12611 is a critical vulnerability published on September 20, 2017. In Apache Struts 2.0.0 through 2.3.33 and 2.5 through 2.5.10.1, using an unintentional expression in a Freemarker tag instead of string literals can lead to a RCE attack.

When was CVE-2017-12611 disclosed?

CVE-2017-12611 was first published in the National Vulnerability Database on September 20, 2017, with the most recent update on May 13, 2026. EchelonGraph re-ingests CVE updates from NVD on a 2-hour cycle, so this page reflects the latest published state.

Is CVE-2017-12611 actively exploited?

CVE-2017-12611 is not currently on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. FIRST EPSS estimates a 99.9% percentile likelihood of exploitation in the next 30 days — higher percentiles indicate greater predicted risk.

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2017-12611?

CVE-2017-12611 has a CVSS v3 base score of 9.8 (NVD).

How do I remediate CVE-2017-12611?

Patch to the fixed version published by the affected vendor. Where vendor advisories exist for CVE-2017-12611, EchelonGraph cross-links them in the Vendor Advisories panel below — those typically contain the canonical remediation steps, fixed version numbers, and any vendor-specific mitigations.

Dependency Blast Radius

See which npm, PyPI, Go, and Maven packages are affected by CVE-2017-12611

Explore →

Is Your Infrastructure Affected by CVE-2017-12611?

EchelonGraph automatically scans your cloud infrastructure and maps CVE exposure using blast radius analysis.

Start Free Scan →Browse All CVEs