CVE-2020-5413: Spring Framework Code Execution Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-86qr-9vqc-pgc6
Share
CVSS 9.8
CWE-502
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-5413 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) code execution vulnerability (CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data) affecting Spring Framework libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves code execution in spring integration. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 4.3.23, 5.3.2, 5.1.12, 5.2.8.

CVE-2020-5413 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-5413
GHSA Identifier GHSA-86qr-9vqc-pgc6
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data
Affected Product Spring Framework
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2020-5413

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.integration:spring-integration-core fixed: 4.3.23 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.integration</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-integration-core</artifactId>
    <version>4.3.23</version>
</dependency>
org.springframework.integration:spring-integration-core fixed: 5.3.2 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.integration</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-integration-core</artifactId>
    <version>5.3.2</version>
</dependency>
org.springframework.integration:spring-integration-core fixed: 5.1.12 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.integration</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-integration-core</artifactId>
    <version>5.1.12</version>
</dependency>
org.springframework.integration:spring-integration-core fixed: 5.2.8 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.integration</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-integration-core</artifactId>
    <version>5.2.8</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.integration

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2020-5413, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

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

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 4.3.23), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.springframework.integration 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-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data, where the product deserializes untrusted data without sufficiently ensuring that the resulting data will be valid. 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 Integration framework provides Kryo Codec implementations as an alternative for Java (de)serialization. When Kryo is configured with default options, all unregistered classes are resolved on demand. This leads to the "deserialization gadgets" exploit when provided data contains malicious code for execution during deserialization. In order to protect against this type of attack, Kryo can be configured to require a set of trusted classes for (de)serialization. Spring Integration should be proactive against blocking unknown "deserialization gadgets" when configuring Kryo in code.

CVE-2020-5413 Affected Spring Framework Versions

4 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
4.3.235.3.25.1.125.2.8
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.springframework.integration:spring-integration-core
maven/org.springframework.integration/spring-integration-core
Maven
≥ 4.3.0
< 4.3.23
4.3.23
org.springframework.integration:spring-integration-core
maven/org.springframework.integration/spring-integration-core
Maven
≥ 5.3.0
< 5.3.2
5.3.2
org.springframework.integration:spring-integration-core
maven/org.springframework.integration/spring-integration-core
Maven
≥ 5.1.0
< 5.1.12
5.1.12
org.springframework.integration:spring-integration-core
maven/org.springframework.integration/spring-integration-core
Maven
≥ 5.2.0
< 5.2.8
5.2.8

References

NVD — CVE-2020-5413 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-5413
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-integration/commit/6a02b5abe97fabab6003d51b98dd45ab009a6e05
Spring Framework Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-integration
Spring Framework Security Information SECURITY
https://tanzu.vmware.com/security/cve-2020-5413
Spring Framework Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com//security-alerts/cpujul2021.html
Spring Framework Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuApr2021.html
Spring Framework Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html
Spring Framework Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-5413?
CVE-2020-5413 is a security vulnerability in Spring Framework involving Code execution in Spring Integration under CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data.
Which Spring Framework versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 4.3.23, 5.3.2, 5.1.12, 5.2.8 across affected packages: org.springframework.integration:spring-integration-core.
What version fixes CVE-2020-5413?
Upgrading to 4.3.23, 5.3.2, 5.1.12, 5.2.8 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is spring-integration-core affected?
Yes, org.springframework.integration:spring-integration-core is affected in releases prior to 4.3.23, 5.3.2, 5.1.12, 5.2.8. Upgrade your dependency to 4.3.23, 5.3.2, 5.1.12, 5.2.8 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-5413?
CVE-2020-5413 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-5413?
CVE-2020-5413 is classified under CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data (The product deserializes untrusted data without sufficiently ensuring that the resulting data will be valid.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2020-5413?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.springframework.integration'. 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
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-86qr-9vqc-pgc6",
  "modified" : "2021-10-21T20:51:16Z",
  "published" : "2020-08-05T14:53:06Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-5413" ],
  "summary" : "Code execution in Spring Integration",
  "details" : "Spring Integration framework provides Kryo Codec implementations as an alternative for Java (de)serialization. When Kryo is configured with default options, all unregistered classes are resolved on demand. This leads to the \"deserialization gadgets\" exploit when provided data contains malicious code for execution during deserialization. In order to protect against this type of attack, Kryo can be configured to require a set of trusted classes for (de)serialization. Spring Integration should be proactive against blocking unknown \"deserialization gadgets\" when configuring Kryo in code.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.integration:spring-integration-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "4.3.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "4.3.23"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.integration:spring-integration-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "5.3.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "5.3.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.integration:spring-integration-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "5.1.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "5.1.12"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.integration:spring-integration-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "5.2.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "5.2.8"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-5413"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-integration/commit/6a02b5abe97fabab6003d51b98dd45ab009a6e05"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-integration"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://tanzu.vmware.com/security/cve-2020-5413"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com//security-alerts/cpujul2021.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuApr2021.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-502" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-08-03T21:06:31Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-07-31T20:15:00Z"
  }
}