CVE-2018-11776 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

CVE-2018-11776 is a vulnerability in Apache Struts versions 2.3 to 2.3.34 and 2.5 to 2.5.16 that could potentially lead to Remote Code Execution.

Understanding CVE-2018-11776

What is CVE-2018-11776?

The vulnerability arises when the 'alwaysSelectFullNamespace' is set to true, leading to Remote Code Execution when certain conditions are met.

The Impact of CVE-2018-11776

This vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on the affected system, potentially leading to unauthorized access, data theft, and system compromise.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-11776

Vulnerability Description

The issue occurs when results are used without specifying a namespace, and the upper package lacks a namespace or has a wildcard namespace.

Affected Systems and Versions

Vendor: Apache Software Foundation
Product: Apache Struts
Affected Versions: 2.3 to 2.3.34, 2.5 to 2.5.16

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by manipulating the 'alwaysSelectFullNamespace' parameter and using specific configurations to execute malicious code.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Apache Struts to a non-vulnerable version immediately.
Implement proper input validation and output encoding to mitigate potential attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor security advisories and update systems promptly.
Conduct security audits and penetration testing to identify and address vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches provided by Apache Software Foundation to fix the vulnerability and enhance system security.