CVE-2017-8742 is a vulnerability that was discovered in 2017. This vulnerability affected the Apache Struts web application framework, which is widely used to develop Java-based web applications. The vulnerability allowed attackers to remotely execute code on the server without requiring any authentication. This meant that an attacker could take control of a vulnerable system and steal sensitive data or launch other attacks.
The vulnerability was caused by a flaw in the way that the framework handled input validation. Attackers were able to exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted requests to the target system. Although a patch for the vulnerability was released, many organizations failed to apply it in a timely manner. As a result, the vulnerability was widely exploited in the wild by attackers.
One of the most high-profile incidents involving CVE-2017-8742 occurred in September 2017, when credit reporting agency Equifax announced that it had suffered a massive data breach that affected millions of consumers. The attackers were able to exploit the vulnerability in Apache Struts to gain access to sensitive data, including names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and driver's license numbers. The incident underscored the importance of promptly applying patches for known vulnerabilities to protect against potential attacks.