Uncontrolled resource consumption vulnerability in the JSON plugin of Apache Struts
Description
Uncontrolled resource consumption vulnerability in the JSON plugin of Apache Struts
AI Analyst Comment
Remediation
Apply vendor security updates immediately. Monitor for exploitation attempts and review access logs.
---METADATA---
VENDOR: Apache Software Foundation
PRODUCT: Apache Struts
AFFECTED_VERSIONS: 2.1.8 through 2.3.37, 2.5.0 through 2.5.33, 6.0.0 through 6.10.0, 7.0.0 through 7.2.1
CONFIDENCE: high
MISSING: patch
---END_METADATA---
Description Summary:
The JSON plugin in Apache Struts is susceptible to an uncontrolled resource consumption vulnerability that may lead to denial of service.
Executive Summary:
An uncontrolled resource consumption vulnerability in the Apache Struts JSON plugin poses a risk of service interruption through denial-of-service attacks.
Vulnerability Details
CVE-ID: CVE-2026-73633
Affected Software: Apache Software Foundation Apache Struts
Affected Versions: 2.1.8 through 2.3.37, 2.5.0 through 2.5.33, 6.0.0 through 6.10.0, 7.0.0 through 7.2.1
Vulnerability: The vulnerability (CWE-400) exists within the JSON plugin, allowing unauthenticated attackers to trigger excessive resource consumption. This can lead to application instability or total service unavailability.
Business Impact
With a CVSS score of 7.5, this vulnerability represents a significant threat to business continuity. Successful exploitation allows for a denial-of-service condition, which can halt critical business operations and lead to substantial downtime for applications relying on the Apache Struts framework.
Remediation Plan
Immediate Action: Consult the official Apache Struts security bulletin S2-072 for guidance on mitigating this resource consumption issue, as a specific patch version was not explicitly provided in the source data.
Proactive Monitoring: Monitor server resource utilization, specifically CPU and memory consumption, for sudden spikes that may indicate an ongoing denial-of-service attempt.
Compensating Controls: Implement rate limiting and request size restrictions at the network or application layer to mitigate the impact of excessive resource requests.
Exploitation Status
Public Exploit Available: Yes, a public proof-of-concept exists on GitHub.
Analyst Notes: As of August 16, 2026, there is no confirmed active exploitation in the wild; however, a public proof-of-concept exists, so exploitation risk should be treated as credible. The vulnerability is highly automatable, increasing the risk of widespread scanning and exploitation.
Analyst Recommendation
The availability of a public proof-of-concept necessitates immediate attention to this vulnerability. Administrators should review the Apache Struts security advisory S2-072 and apply the recommended configurations or updates as soon as they become available to prevent potential service outages.