CVE-2007-1756 is a vulnerability that affects the widely used Apache Struts framework, versions prior to 2.0.11.1. This vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems by exploiting a flaw in the framework's handling of multilingual support. Specifically, an attacker can inject malicious code into HTTP requests that are processed by the vulnerable server, leading to remote code execution.
The vulnerability was first discovered in March 2007 and assigned the CVE identifier CVE-2007-1756. Shortly thereafter, a patch was released by the Apache Software Foundation to address the issue. However, despite the availability of a patch, many organizations failed to apply it in a timely manner. As a result, the vulnerability remained widespread and was actively exploited by attackers in the following years.
In 2017, this vulnerability made headlines when it was exploited in the Equifax data breach, one of the largest data breaches in history. Attackers took advantage of the vulnerability to gain access to sensitive data belonging to over 143 million individuals, including names, social security numbers, birth dates, and other personal information. The incident highlighted the importance of prompt patching and vulnerability management in mitigating the risk of cyber attacks.