1. Introduction
The vulnerability “Apache Struts struts-examples upload-submit.do ‘theText’ Param…” is a cross-site scripting (XSS) flaw in the Struts framework’s demonstration application. This allows an attacker to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by users, potentially stealing cookies or redirecting them to harmful sites. Affected systems are typically those running the vulnerable struts-examples application. A successful exploit could compromise confidentiality, integrity and availability of user sessions.
2. Technical Explanation
- Root cause: Missing input validation on the ‘theText’ parameter allows unfiltered data to be included in dynamic HTML generation.
- Exploit mechanism: An attacker crafts a malicious URL containing XSS payload within the ‘theText’ parameter and tricks a user into visiting it. The server includes this payload in its response, which is then executed by the victim’s browser. For example, an attacker could use a link like
http://example.com/upload-submit.do?theText= - Scope: Systems running Struts examples application are affected.
3. Detection and Assessment
To confirm vulnerability, check if the Struts examples application is accessible and test for XSS injection.
- Quick checks: Verify if the struts-examples application is running by accessing its URL in a web browser.
- Scanning: Nessus plugin ID 16eaf1b can detect this vulnerability. This is an example only, other scanners may also be able to identify it.
- Logs and evidence: Monitor server logs for suspicious requests containing HTML or script tags within the ‘theText’ parameter of ‘upload-submit.do’.
# No specific command available as this requires web interaction. Check application accessibility via a browser.4. Solution / Remediation Steps
Remove or restrict access to the Struts examples application to prevent exploitation.
4.1 Preparation
- There are no dependencies for this remediation, but a change window may be required depending on your environment. Approval from the security team is recommended.
4.2 Implementation
- Step 1: Remove the Struts examples application directory from the web server.
- Step 2: If removal isn’t possible, restrict access to the application using web server configuration (e.g., deny access in Apache .htaccess or Nginx config).
4.3 Config or Code Example
Before
# Struts examples application is accessible via web server configuration.After
# Web server configured to deny access to the Struts examples application directory. Example Apache .htaccess:
<Directory /path/to/struts-examples>
Require all denied
</Directory>4.4 Security Practices Relevant to This Vulnerability
Several security practices can help prevent this type of issue.
- Practice 1: Input validation is crucial for blocking unsafe data and preventing XSS attacks.
- Practice 2: Least privilege reduces the impact if an attacker successfully exploits a vulnerability by limiting their access to system resources.
4.5 Automation (Optional)
No automation steps are provided as this remediation is best handled through configuration changes.
5. Verification / Validation
Confirm the fix by attempting to access the Struts examples application and verifying that it’s no longer accessible.
- Post-fix check: Attempt to access the Struts examples application URL in a web browser; you should receive an error message (e.g., 403 Forbidden).
- Smoke test: Verify that other web applications hosted on the same server are functioning as expected.
- Monitoring: Monitor web server logs for access attempts to the Struts examples application directory; these attempts should be blocked. This is an example only.
# Attempting to access http://example.com/upload-submit.do should return a 403 Forbidden error.6. Preventive Measures and Monitoring
Implement security baselines and pipelines to prevent similar issues.
- Baselines: Update your web server configuration baseline to include restrictions on unnecessary applications like Struts examples.
- Asset and patch process: Maintain a regular review cycle for installed applications and remove any that are not actively used or supported.
7. Risks, Side Effects, and Roll Back
Removing the Struts examples application may impact developers who use it for testing purposes.
- Risk or side effect 1: Developers relying on the Struts examples application will need to find alternative testing methods.
- Roll back: Restore the backed-up Struts examples application directory and configuration files, then restart the web server.
8. References and Resources
- Vendor advisory or bulletin: http://secpod.org/blog/?p=450
- NVD or CVE entry: CVE-2012-1007
- Product or platform documentation relevant to the fix: No specific documentation available for this demonstration application.