CVE-2026-22731: Spring Framework Authentication Bypass Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-8hfc-fq58-r658
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CVSS 8.2
CWE-306 CWE-288
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-22731 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.2) authentication bypass vulnerability (CWE-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function) affecting Spring Framework libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves spring boot has an authentication bypass under actuator health groups paths. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.5.12, 4.0.4.

CVE-2026-22731 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-22731
GHSA Identifier GHSA-8hfc-fq58-r658
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.2
CWE Classification CWE-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function
Affected Product Spring Framework
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.2

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:L/A:N).

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 Low (I:L)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2026-22731

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.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator fixed: Latest secure release 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-actuator</artifactId>
    <version>Latest secure release</version>
</dependency>
org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator fixed: 3.5.12 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-actuator</artifactId>
    <version>3.5.12</version>
</dependency>
org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator fixed: 4.0.4 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-actuator</artifactId>
    <version>4.0.4</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.boot

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2026-22731, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

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

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 3.5.12), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.springframework.boot 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-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function, where the product does not perform any authentication for functionality that requires a provable user identity or consumes a significant amount of resources. 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 Boot applications with Actuator can be vulnerable to an "Authentication Bypass" vulnerability when an application endpoint that requires authentication is declared under a specific path, already configured for a Health Group additional path. This issue affects Spring Boot: from 4.0 before 4.0.3, from 3.5 before 3.5.11, from 3.4 before 3.4.15. This CVE is similar but not equivalent to CVE-2026-22733, as the conditions for exploit and vulnerable versions are different.

CVE-2026-22731 Affected Spring Framework Versions

3 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.5.124.0.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator
maven/org.springframework.boot/spring-boot-starter-actuator
Maven
≥ 3.4.0
≤ 3.4.13
org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator
maven/org.springframework.boot/spring-boot-starter-actuator
Maven
≥ 3.5.0
< 3.5.12
3.5.12
org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator
maven/org.springframework.boot/spring-boot-starter-actuator
Maven
≥ 4.0.0-M1
< 4.0.4
4.0.4

References

NVD — CVE-2026-22731 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-22731
Spring Framework Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-boot
Spring Framework Security Information SECURITY
https://spring.io/security/cve-2026-22731

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-22731?
CVE-2026-22731 is a security vulnerability in Spring Framework involving Spring Boot has an Authentication Bypass under Actuator Health groups paths under CWE-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function.
Which Spring Framework versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.5.12, 4.0.4 across affected packages: org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator.
What version fixes CVE-2026-22731?
Upgrading to 3.5.12, 4.0.4 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is spring-boot-starter-actuator affected?
Yes, org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release, 3.5.12, 4.0.4. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release, 3.5.12, 4.0.4 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-22731?
CVE-2026-22731 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.2 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-22731?
CVE-2026-22731 is classified under CWE-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function (The product does not perform any authentication for functionality that requires a provable user identity or consumes a significant amount of resources.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-22731?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.springframework.boot'. 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-8hfc-fq58-r658",
  "modified" : "2026-03-20T20:41:29Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-20T00:31:28Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-22731" ],
  "summary" : "Spring Boot has an Authentication Bypass under Actuator Health groups paths",
  "details" : "Spring Boot applications with Actuator can be vulnerable to an \"Authentication Bypass\" vulnerability when an application endpoint that requires authentication is declared under a specific path, already configured for a Health Group additional path.\nThis issue affects Spring Boot: from 4.0 before 4.0.3, from 3.5 before 3.5.11, from 3.4 before 3.4.15.\nThis CVE is similar but not equivalent to CVE-2026-22733, as the conditions for exploit and vulnerable versions are different.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.4.0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "3.4.13"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.5.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.5.12"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "4.0.0-M1"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "4.0.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-22731"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-boot"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://spring.io/security/cve-2026-22731"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-288", "CWE-306" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-20T20:41:29Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-03-19T23:16:41Z"
  }
}