CVE-2024-38808: Spring Framework Denial of Service Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-9cmq-m9j5-mvww
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CVSS 4.3
CWE-770
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2024-38808 is a MODERATE (CVSS 4.3) denial of service vulnerability (CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling) affecting Spring Framework libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves spring framework vulnerable to denial of service. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 5.3.39.

CVE-2024-38808 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2024-38808
GHSA Identifier GHSA-9cmq-m9j5-mvww
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 4.3
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: 4.3

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:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L).

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

How to Fix CVE-2024-38808

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:spring-expression fixed: 5.3.39 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-expression</artifactId>
    <version>5.3.39</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

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2024-38808, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.springframework

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 5.3.39), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.springframework 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

In Spring Framework versions 5.3.0 - 5.3.38 and older unsupported versions, it is possible for a user to provide a specially crafted Spring Expression Language (SpEL) expression that may cause a denial of service (DoS) condition. Older, unsupported versions are also affected. Specifically, an application is vulnerable when the following is true: * The application evaluates user-supplied SpEL expressions.

CVE-2024-38808 Affected Spring Framework Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
5.3.39
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.springframework:spring-expression
maven/org.springframework/spring-expression
Maven
< 5.3.39
5.3.39

References

NVD — CVE-2024-38808 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-38808
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework/commit/26f2dad388499faecf99e75b8856788e95d8d658
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework/commit/f44d13cb7816e586b86c02421af4f5498391111c
Spring Framework Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework
Spring Framework Security Information SECURITY
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20240920-0002
Spring Framework Security Information SECURITY
https://spring.io/security/cve-2024-38808

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-38808?
CVE-2024-38808 is a security vulnerability in Spring Framework involving Spring Framework vulnerable to Denial of Service under CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling.
Which Spring Framework versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 5.3.39 across affected packages: org.springframework:spring-expression.
What version fixes CVE-2024-38808?
Upgrading to 5.3.39 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is spring-expression affected?
Yes, org.springframework:spring-expression is affected in releases prior to 5.3.39. Upgrade your dependency to 5.3.39 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2024-38808?
CVE-2024-38808 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2024-38808?
CVE-2024-38808 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-2024-38808?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.springframework'. 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-9cmq-m9j5-mvww",
  "modified" : "2025-06-18T17:46:28Z",
  "published" : "2024-08-20T09:30:28Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2024-38808" ],
  "summary" : "Spring Framework vulnerable to Denial of Service",
  "details" : "In Spring Framework versions 5.3.0 - 5.3.38 and older unsupported versions, it is possible for a user to provide a specially crafted Spring Expression Language (SpEL) expression that may cause a denial of service (DoS) condition. Older, unsupported versions are also affected.\n\nSpecifically, an application is vulnerable when the following is true:\n\n  *  The application evaluates user-supplied SpEL expressions.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework:spring-expression"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "5.3.39"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-38808"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework/commit/26f2dad388499faecf99e75b8856788e95d8d658"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework/commit/f44d13cb7816e586b86c02421af4f5498391111c"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20240920-0002"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://spring.io/security/cve-2024-38808"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-770" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-08-20T20:03:25Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2024-08-20T08:15:05Z"
  }
}