CVE-2018-11776

Apache Struts versions 2.3 to 2.3.34 and 2.5 to 2.5.16 suffer from possible Remote Code Execution when alwaysSelectFullNamespace is true (either by user or a plugin like Convention Plugin) and then: results are used with no namespace and in same time, its upper package have no or wildcard namespace and similar to results, same possibility when using url tag which doesn't have value and action set and in same time, its upper package have no or wildcard namespace.

CVSS: 8.1Highscored by CISA
Exploited in the wild: Yes, in CISA KEV since 3 Nov 2021CISA deadline for US federal agencies: 3 May 2022public exploit code
EPSS: > 99.9%chance of exploitation in the next 30 daystop 0.1% of scored CVEsFIRST score of 11 Nov 2026
Fix: Patch availablesee the advisories in the references
Published: 22 Aug 2018analysed here 12 Nov 2026

Do first. Apply updates per vendor instructions. (CISA's required action for this KEV entry)

Summary

Triage

Exploitable: At runtime
Attack vector: network
Can a WAF block it?: Partly. See why

The summary, impact and action text on this page are written by our AI analysis pipeline, or taken from the NVD description when a CVE was imported from NVD. They are not the vendor's wording: check them against the sources. A longer AI executive summary and technical analysis are generated for signed-in accounts on the Max plan.

Affected products

Product	Affected versions	Vendor says fixed in
Apache Software Foundation Apache Struts	2.3 to 2.3.342.5 to 2.5.16Vendor says fixed in: not stated	Not stated by the vendor

As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.

Products named in our analysis

apache:struts
netapp:active_iq_unified_manager
netapp:oncommand_insight
netapp:oncommand_workflow_automation
netapp:snapcenter
oracle:communications_policy_management
oracle:enterprise_manager_base_platform
oracle:mysql_enterprise_monitor

Fix and mitigation

WAF and other mitigations

Can a WAF block it? Partly. The bug can be reached over the network, so generic WAF rules may stop some attacks. Its weakness type is unknown, so we cannot be more precise.

Also consider: patch

Based on the weakness type only; no CVE-specific evidence yet. We check Cloudflare, AWS, Google Cloud Armor and Azure; for Akamai, Imperva, Fastly, F5, ask your vendor.

Remediation steps (AI-written)

Step-by-step remediation is generated for accounts on the Max plan, for CVEs that match a technology in their stack. Add this technology to your stack to see the fix checklist.

Exploitation evidence

CISA KEV catalog: Listed since 3 Nov 2021.
CISA due date: 3 May 2022, the remediation deadline for US federal agencies
CISA required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Public exploit code: Yes: 4 on Exploit-DB · 1 Metasploit module · 17 GitHub proofs of concept · 1 Nuclei template
CISA SSVC: exploitation active, automatable no, technical impact totalAssessed by CISA 6 Feb 2025 (SSVC 2.0.3). Exploitation is none, poc (public proof of concept) or active.

and 13 more repositories

Listed so you can judge urgency, not as a recommendation to run anything. GitHub “proofs of concept” are unvetted: some are fake or carry malware. Exploit-DB marks the entries its staff verified.

Timeline

22 Aug 2018Published
23 Aug 2018First public exploit or proof of conceptsame day later
3 Nov 2021Added to CISA KEV (exploited in the wild)1,168 days (about 3 years) later
3 May 2022CISA remediation due date (US federal agencies)181 days (about 6 months) later
6 Feb 2025CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active1,011 days (about 3 years) later
21 Oct 2025CVE record last updated257 days (about 9 months) later
12 Nov 2026Analysed by vulneraibility.com387 days (about 1 year) later

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Metric	Value	What it means
Attack vector	NetworkReachable over the internet or any routable network.	Reachable over the internet or any routable network.
Attack complexity	HighNeeds specific conditions, a race or a particular configuration.	Needs specific conditions, a race or a particular configuration.
Privileges required	NoneThe attacker needs no prior access.	The attacker needs no prior access.
User interaction	NoneNo victim action needed.	No victim action needed.
Scope	UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.	Impact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality	HighTotal data disclosure possible.	Total data disclosure possible.
Integrity	HighComplete modification possible.	Complete modification possible.
Availability	HighFull outage possible.	Full outage possible.

Common questions

Is CVE-2018-11776 being exploited?

Yes. CVE-2018-11776 appears in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which means exploitation in the wild has been confirmed and reported. Treat it as active rather than theoretical, and patch it ahead of higher-scoring vulnerabilities that carry no exploitation evidence.

How severe is CVE-2018-11776?

CVE-2018-11776 is rated High with a CVSS score of 8.1. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.

Is there a patch for CVE-2018-11776?

Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2018-11776. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.

What does CVE-2018-11776 affect?

CVE-2018-11776 affects apache:struts, netapp:active_iq_unified_manager, netapp:oncommand_insight, netapp:oncommand_workflow_automation, and 4 further products or versions. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.

Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.

References

NVD CVE.org CVE Details Source

20 references in the CVE record, grouped by the tags the record gives them.

Exploits (3)

exploit-db.com /exploits/45367/
exploit-db.com /exploits/45262/
exploit-db.com /exploits/45260/

Where the data on this page comes from

CVE List (CVE.org): description, affected versions, references; CVE Terms of Use
NVD: CVSS and CPE data
CISA KEV catalog: exploitation, date added, due date
CISA Vulnrichment (ADP): SSVC decision points
FIRST EPSS: exploit probability and percentile
Exploit-DB: published exploits
Metasploit Framework: exploit and scanner modules
Nuclei templates: detection templates
PoC-in-GitHub: GitHub repositories that claim a proof of concept

Summary, impact and triage tags: written by our AI analysis pipeline from the sources above. Check them against the sources.

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