CVE-2022-22978: Spring Framework Authorization Bypass Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-hh32-7344-cg2f
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-285 CWE-863
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2022-22978 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) authorization bypass vulnerability (CWE-285: Improper Authorization) affecting Spring Framework libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves authorization bypass in spring security. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 5.5.7, 5.6.4, 5.4.11.

CVE-2022-22978 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2022-22978
GHSA Identifier GHSA-hh32-7344-cg2f
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-285: Improper Authorization
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-2022-22978

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.security:spring-security-core fixed: 5.5.7 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.security</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-security-core</artifactId>
    <version>5.5.7</version>
</dependency>
org.springframework.security:spring-security-core fixed: 5.6.4 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.security</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-security-core</artifactId>
    <version>5.6.4</version>
</dependency>
org.springframework.security:spring-security-core fixed: 5.4.11 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.security</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-security-core</artifactId>
    <version>5.4.11</version>
</dependency>
org.springframework.security:spring-security-web fixed: 5.5.7 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.security</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-security-web</artifactId>
    <version>5.5.7</version>
</dependency>
org.springframework.security:spring-security-web fixed: 5.6.4 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.security</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-security-web</artifactId>
    <version>5.6.4</version>
</dependency>
org.springframework.security:spring-security-web fixed: 5.4.11 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.security</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-security-web</artifactId>
    <version>5.4.11</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.security

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2022-22978, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

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

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 5.5.7), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.springframework.security 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-285: Improper Authorization, where the product does not perform or incorrectly performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action. 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 Security versions 5.5.6 and 5.5.7 and older unsupported versions, RegexRequestMatcher can easily be misconfigured to be bypassed on some servlet containers. Applications using RegexRequestMatcher with `.` in the regular expression are possibly vulnerable to an authorization bypass.

CVE-2022-22978 Affected Spring Framework Versions

6 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
5.5.75.6.45.4.11
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.springframework.security:spring-security-core
maven/org.springframework.security/spring-security-core
Maven
≥ 5.5.0
< 5.5.7
5.5.7
org.springframework.security:spring-security-core
maven/org.springframework.security/spring-security-core
Maven
≥ 5.6.0
< 5.6.4
5.6.4
org.springframework.security:spring-security-core
maven/org.springframework.security/spring-security-core
Maven
< 5.4.11
5.4.11
org.springframework.security:spring-security-web
maven/org.springframework.security/spring-security-web
Maven
≥ 5.5.0
< 5.5.7
5.5.7
org.springframework.security:spring-security-web
maven/org.springframework.security/spring-security-web
Maven
≥ 5.6.0
< 5.6.4
5.6.4
org.springframework.security:spring-security-web
maven/org.springframework.security/spring-security-web
Maven
< 5.4.11
5.4.11

References

NVD — CVE-2022-22978 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-22978
Spring Framework Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/anchore/grype/issues/2158
Spring Framework Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-security
Spring Framework Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-security/blob/main/web/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/web/util/matcher/RegexRequestMatcher.java
Spring Framework Security Information SECURITY
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20220707-0003
Spring Framework Security Information SECURITY
https://spring.io/security/cve-2022-22978
Spring Framework Security Information SECURITY
https://tanzu.vmware.com/security/cve-2022-22978
Spring Framework Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-22978?
CVE-2022-22978 is a security vulnerability in Spring Framework involving Authorization bypass in Spring Security under CWE-285: Improper Authorization.
Which Spring Framework versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 5.5.7, 5.6.4, 5.4.11 across affected packages: org.springframework.security:spring-security-core, org.springframework.security:spring-security-web.
What version fixes CVE-2022-22978?
Upgrading to 5.5.7, 5.6.4, 5.4.11 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is spring-security-core affected?
Yes, org.springframework.security:spring-security-core is affected in releases prior to 5.5.7, 5.6.4, 5.4.11. Upgrade your dependency to 5.5.7, 5.6.4, 5.4.11 or later.
Is spring-security-web affected?
Yes, org.springframework.security:spring-security-web is affected in releases prior to 5.5.7, 5.6.4, 5.4.11. Upgrade your dependency to 5.5.7, 5.6.4, 5.4.11 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2022-22978?
CVE-2022-22978 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-2022-22978?
CVE-2022-22978 is classified under CWE-285: Improper Authorization (The product does not perform or incorrectly performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2022-22978?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.springframework.security'. 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-hh32-7344-cg2f",
  "modified" : "2024-10-04T20:22:02Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-20T00:00:39Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2022-22978" ],
  "summary" : "Authorization bypass in Spring Security",
  "details" : "In Spring Security versions 5.5.6 and 5.5.7 and older unsupported versions, RegexRequestMatcher can easily be misconfigured to be bypassed on some servlet containers. Applications using RegexRequestMatcher with `.` in the regular expression are possibly vulnerable to an authorization bypass.",
  "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.security:spring-security-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "5.5.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "5.5.7"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.security:spring-security-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "5.6.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "5.6.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.security:spring-security-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "5.4.11"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.security:spring-security-web"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "5.5.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "5.5.7"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.security:spring-security-web"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "5.6.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "5.6.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.security:spring-security-web"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "5.4.11"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-22978"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/anchore/grype/issues/2158"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-security"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-security/blob/main/web/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/web/util/matcher/RegexRequestMatcher.java"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20220707-0003"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://spring.io/security/cve-2022-22978"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://tanzu.vmware.com/security/cve-2022-22978"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-285", "CWE-863" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-05-25T20:20:36Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2022-05-19T15:15:00Z"
  }
}