CWE-102: Struts: Duplicate Validation Forms

Extended Description

If two validation forms have the same name, the Struts Validator arbitrarily chooses one of the forms to use for input validation and discards the other. This decision might not correspond to the programmer's expectations, possibly leading to resultant weaknesses. Moreover, it indicates that the validation logic is not up-to-date, and can indicate that other, more subtle validation errors are present.

Code Examples & CVEs

Demonstrative Examples

These two Struts validation forms have the same name.

It is not certain which form will be used by Struts. It is critically important that validation logic be maintained and kept in sync with the rest of the product.

BadXML

<form-validation> 				    					 <formset> 					  					   <form name="ProjectForm"> ... </form> 					   <form name="ProjectForm"> ... </form> 					  					 </formset> 				    				   </form-validation>

Source-backed guidance

Additional facts reviewed against primary or authoritative security sources.

Verify controls for CWE-102 with SSDF evidence

Use NIST SSDF verification and vulnerability-response practices to detect CWE-102, Struts: Duplicate Validation Forms, throughout the product lifecycle. Derive review questions, static or dynamic checks, and negative tests from the CWE's causal behavior; define the components and lifecycle stages each check covers; and retain findings with enough evidence to distinguish the root cause from symptoms and impacts. Track escapes and false negatives, then improve the verification plan after every confirmed occurrence.

NIST SP 800-218 Secure Software Development Framework — National Institute of Standards and Technology

Address Struts: Duplicate Validation Forms during Implementation

MITRE associates mitigation with Implementation; recorded impacts include Unexpected State; related weaknesses include CWE-694, CWE-1173, and CWE-20. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-102 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.

CWE-102: Struts: Duplicate Validation Forms — MITRE CWE

Triage CWE-102 against known exploitation evidence

Use CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to test whether a vulnerability mapped to CWE-102, Struts: Duplicate Validation Forms, has evidence of exploitation in the wild. Confirm the CVE-to-CWE root-cause mapping independently before attaching the example, then capture the affected product, required action, and remediation deadline. A missing KEV match is not evidence that the weakness is unexploited, and a KEV entry must not be generalized to every occurrence of this CWE.

Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog — Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Apply precise root-cause mapping to CWE-102

Apply MITRE's full root-cause mapping guidance when using CWE-102, Struts: Duplicate Validation Forms. Separate weakness language from attacker prerequisites and technical impact, check the entry's abstraction and vulnerability-mapping notes, and prefer the most specific Base or Variant supported by the evidence. Record the rejected alternatives and require an independent review before the mapping is used for remediation trends or program metrics.

CVE to CWE Root Cause Mapping Guidance — MITRE CWE

Validate CWE-102 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-102, Struts: Duplicate Validation Forms. Confirm the finding describes the causal weakness rather than an impact or attack pattern, compare the abstraction and mapping notes with plausible alternatives, and have a second reviewer challenge the selection. Preserve the evidence and reasoning so recurring defects can be measured against one consistent identifier.

CVE to CWE Root Cause Mapping Quick Tips — MITRE CWE

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CWE-102: Struts: Duplicate Validation Forms?+

CWE-102: Struts: Duplicate Validation Forms is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product uses multiple validation forms with the same name, which might cause the Struts Validator to validate a form that the programmer does not expect. If two validation forms have the same name, the Struts Validator arbitrarily chooses one of the forms to use for input validation and discards the other. This decision might not correspond to the programmer's expectations, possibly leading to resultant weaknesses. Moreover, it indicates that the validation logic is not up-to-date, and can indicate that other, more subtle validation errors are present.

What are the security consequences of Struts: Duplicate Validation Forms?+

If exploited, CWE-102 (Struts: Duplicate Validation Forms) it can compromise Integrity, leading to outcomes such as Unexpected State.

How do you prevent or mitigate Struts: Duplicate Validation Forms?+

Recommended mitigations for CWE-102 include: The DTD or schema validation will not catch the duplicate occurrence of the same form name. To find the issue in the implementation, manual checks or automated static analysis could be applied to the xml configuration files.

Which programming languages are affected by Struts: Duplicate Validation Forms?+

CWE-102 commonly affects Java. Note that weaknesses are often language-agnostic patterns, so secure coding practices apply broadly.

What is the difference between a CWE and a CVE?+

A CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) like CWE-102 describes a category of software weakness — the underlying flaw type. A CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) identifies a specific, real-world vulnerability in a particular product. In short, a CWE is the kind of mistake, and a CVE is an instance of that mistake being found in software.

CWE-102: Struts: Duplicate Validation Forms

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