CVE-2016-3087 Public exploit EPSS 81.9%

Apache Struts 2.3.19 to 2.3.20.2, 2.3.21 to 2.3.24.1, and 2.3.25 to 2.3.28, when Dynamic Method Invocation is enabled…

Summary

Apache Struts versions 2.3.19 to 2.3.20.2, 2.3.21 to 2.3.24.1, and 2.3.25 to 2.3.28 contain a flaw in the REST Plugin's handling of the "!" (exclamation mark) operator. An attacker with network access to an affected application can execute arbitrary code by sending crafted requests, provided Dynamic Method Invocation is enabled.

Official description · CVE.org

Apache Struts 2.3.19 to 2.3.20.2, 2.3.21 to 2.3.24.1, and 2.3.25 to 2.3.28, when Dynamic Method Invocation is enabled, allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via vectors related to an ! (exclamation mark) operator to the REST Plugin.

Breakdown

24.9 / 100

Exploited: Not confirmed
Reports: 0
Tactics: 0/15

Public exploit code (Metasploit) was available 6 days before disclosure.

Public exploit codeMetasploit1 Jun 20166 days before
Disclosed7 Jun 2016day 0

8 fixes in struts2-core over 18 months. The latest fix listed for struts2-core is 2.5.1.

Fixes in struts2-coreMaven package, by fixed version. Earlier and later fixes in the same package, not necessarily the same bug.

2.3.28CVE-2016-216212 Apr 2016
2.3.28CVE-2016-400312 Apr 2016
2.3.28.1CVE-2016-308126 Apr 2016KEV
2.3.28.1CVE-2016-308226 Apr 2016
2.3.28.1CVE-2016-30877 Jun 2016
2.3.29CVE-2016-44384 Jul 2016
2.3.29CVE-2016-446116 Oct 2017
2.5.1CVE-2016-44363 Oct 2016Latest listed

techniques

No techniques linked

No ATT&CK techniques are linked to this CVE yet. MITRE CTID has not mapped it, and no report passage in the corpus ties it to a technique.

Am I affected? What do I upgrade to?

From GitHub Security Advisories and OSV

1 package in 1 ecosystem. Main package: org.apache.struts:struts2-core.

Mavenorg.apache.struts:struts2-coreGHSA-mmj6-cjj4-hpr5

Upgrade to 2.5.33

Fixes this CVE and 9 other known vulnerabilities in this package (CVE-2016-3081, CVE-2017-12611, +7).

Still affected on this line by CVE-2024-53677 (fixed in 6.4.0, a newer line); CVE-2025-68493 (no fix published).

Set the version to 2.5.33 or later in your pom.xml or build.gradle.

First fixed in 2.3.28.1 for CVE-2016-3087.

Affected versions, by release line

If you run	Upgrade to
2.3.25 up to 2.3.28.1	2.5.33first fix for this CVE: 2.3.28.1
2.3.21 up to 2.3.24.3 Still affected on this line by CVE-2017-12611 (fixed in 2.3.34, a newer line); CVE-2017-5638 (fixed in 2.3.32, a newer line); CVE-2018-11776 (fixed in 2.3.35, a newer line); CVE-2019-0230 (fixed in 2.5.22, a newer line); CVE-2019-0233 (fixed in 2.5.22, a newer line); CVE-2020-17530 (fixed in 2.5.26, a newer line); CVE-2021-31805 (fixed in 2.5.30, a newer line); CVE-2023-50164 (fixed in 2.5.33, a newer line); CVE-2024-53677 (fixed in 6.4.0, a newer line); CVE-2025-68493 (no fix published).	2.3.24.3
2.3.19 up to 2.3.20.3 Still affected on this line by CVE-2017-12611 (fixed in 2.3.34, a newer line); CVE-2017-5638 (fixed in 2.3.32, a newer line); CVE-2018-11776 (fixed in 2.3.35, a newer line); CVE-2019-0230 (fixed in 2.5.22, a newer line); CVE-2019-0233 (fixed in 2.5.22, a newer line); CVE-2020-17530 (fixed in 2.5.26, a newer line); CVE-2021-31805 (fixed in 2.5.30, a newer line); CVE-2023-50164 (fixed in 2.5.33, a newer line); CVE-2024-53677 (fixed in 6.4.0, a newer line); CVE-2025-68493 (no fix published).	2.3.20.3

“Up to” means the second version is the fix and is not affected.

Check your lockfile against all CVEs

What security researchers reported

Not named in any threat report yet

References

5 links, grouped by NVD tag

Exploitation evidence

Not in KEV. CISA has not confirmed exploitation.

ENISA

Not marked exploited. EUVD-2022-4592

Apache Struts - REST Plugin With Dynamic Method Invocation Remote Code Execution (Metasploit)EDB-39919 · remote · multiple · 2016-06-10 · verified
Apache Struts - REST Plugin With Dynamic Method Invocation Remote Code ExecutionEDB-43382 · remote · multiple · 2017-06-06

, 31 Oct 2026

81.9%Top 0.35%

Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days. of scored CVEs (riskier than 99.65%).

No CVSS score published.

Priority factorsFormula

In a KEV catalognot listed 0.0/35

Recent KEV listingnot listed 0.0/10

Known ransomware usenot known 0.0/10

EPSS percentilepercentile 0.9965 19.9/20

Threat reports0 reports 0.0/10

Public exploit code1 NVD reference tagged Exploit; 2 Exploit-DB entries; 1 advisory exploit reference; 1 Metasploit module 5.0/5

Mentioned in OTX pulses0 pulses 0.0/3

CVSS base scoreno CVSS 0.0/7

End-of-life productsupported or unknown 0.0

Total24.9

Record

Published: 7 Jun 2016
Modified: 5 Aug 2024
: None assigned
Elsewhere: NVD CVE.org JSON

Exploitation timelineExploitation timelineDated milestones for a CVE: when it was disclosed, when exploit code became public, when exploitation was confirmed, and when threat reports named it.

Patch historyPatch historyEarlier and later CVEs in the same code, in date order. It shows when a fix was bypassed or incomplete and which version finally fixed it.

Fixes in struts2-coreMaven package, by fixed version. Earlier and later fixes in the same package, not necessarily the same bug.

ATT&CKMITRE ATT&CKA public catalogue of the techniques attackers use, maintained by MITRE. Patchfirst uses it to describe what attackers do with a vulnerability. techniques

Am I affected? What do I upgrade to?

Affected versions, by release line

What security researchers reported

References

vdb-entry 2

exploit 1

x_refsource_CONFIRM 2

techniques