CVE-2018-1274: Spring Framework Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-5q8m-mqmx-pxp9
CVSS 7.5
CWE-770
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-1274 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling) affecting Spring Framework libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves spring data commons contain a property path parser vulnerability caused by unlimited resource allocation. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.13.11, 2.0.6.

CVE-2018-1274 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-1274
GHSA Identifier GHSA-5q8m-mqmx-pxp9
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling
Affected Product Spring Framework
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2018-1274

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Spring Framework dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

org.springframework.data:spring-data-commons fixed: 1.13.11
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.data</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-data-commons</artifactId>
    <version>1.13.11</version>
</dependency>
org.springframework.data:spring-data-commons fixed: 2.0.6
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.data</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-data-commons</artifactId>
    <version>2.0.6</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.springframework.data

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2018-1274, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.springframework.data

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Spring Framework in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.13.11), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.springframework.data command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling, where the product allocates a reusable resource or group of resources on behalf of an actor without imposing any intended restrictions on the size or number of resources that can be allocated. In Spring Framework, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

Spring Data Commons, versions 1.13 to 1.13.10, 2.0 to 2.0.5, and older unsupported versions, contain a property path parser vulnerability caused by unlimited resource allocation. An unauthenticated remote malicious user (or attacker) can issue requests against Spring Data REST endpoints or endpoints using property path parsing which can cause a denial of service (CPU and memory consumption).

CVE-2018-1274 Affected Spring Framework Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.13.112.0.6
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.springframework.data:spring-data-commons
Maven
< 1.13.11
1.13.11
org.springframework.data:spring-data-commons
Maven
≥ 2.0.0
< 2.0.6
2.0.6

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-1274?
CVE-2018-1274 is a security vulnerability in Spring Framework involving Spring Data Commons contain a property path parser vulnerability caused by unlimited resource allocation under CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling.
Which Spring Framework versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.13.11, 2.0.6 across affected packages: org.springframework.data:spring-data-commons.
What version fixes CVE-2018-1274?
Upgrading to 1.13.11, 2.0.6 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is spring-data-commons affected?
Yes, org.springframework.data:spring-data-commons is affected in releases prior to 1.13.11, 2.0.6. Upgrade your dependency to 1.13.11, 2.0.6 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-1274?
CVE-2018-1274 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-1274?
CVE-2018-1274 is classified under CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling (The product allocates a reusable resource or group of resources on behalf of an actor without imposing any intended restrictions on the size or number of resources that can be allocated.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2018-1274?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.springframework.data'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-5q8m-mqmx-pxp9",
  "modified" : "2024-03-04T20:01:15Z",
  "published" : "2018-10-17T17:23:44Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-1274" ],
  "summary" : "Spring Data Commons contain a property path parser vulnerability caused by unlimited resource allocation",
  "details" : "Spring Data Commons, versions 1.13 to 1.13.10, 2.0 to 2.0.5, and older unsupported versions, contain a property path parser vulnerability caused by unlimited resource allocation. An unauthenticated remote malicious user (or attacker) can issue requests against Spring Data REST endpoints or endpoints using property path parsing which can cause a denial of service (CPU and memory consumption).",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.data:spring-data-commons"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.13.11"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.data:spring-data-commons"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.0.6"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-1274"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-data-commons/commit/371f6590c509c72f8e600f3d05e110941607fba"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-data-commons/commit/3d8576fe4e4e71c23b9e6796b32fd56e51182ee"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-5q8m-mqmx-pxp9"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://pivotal.io/security/cve-2018-1274"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/103769"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-770" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:17:03Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2018-04-18T16:29:00Z"
  }
}