CVE-2026-41731: Spring Framework Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-xq69-5h5v-x9x4
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CVSS 8.1
CWE-502
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-41731 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.1) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data) affecting Spring Framework libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves in spring for apache kafka, overly broad trusted-package matching in header mappers exposes jdk classes to deserialization. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 4.0.6, 3.3.16.

CVE-2026-41731 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-41731
GHSA Identifier GHSA-xq69-5h5v-x9x4
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.1
CWE Classification CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data
Affected Product Spring Framework
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.1

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

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
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-2026-41731

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.kafka:spring-kafka fixed: 4.0.6 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.kafka</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-kafka</artifactId>
    <version>4.0.6</version>
</dependency>
org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka fixed: 3.3.16 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.kafka</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-kafka</artifactId>
    <version>3.3.16</version>
</dependency>
org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka fixed: Latest secure release 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.kafka</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-kafka</artifactId>
    <version>Latest secure release</version>
</dependency>
org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka fixed: Latest secure release 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.kafka</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-kafka</artifactId>
    <version>Latest secure release</version>
</dependency>
org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka fixed: Latest secure release 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.kafka</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-kafka</artifactId>
    <version>Latest secure release</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.kafka

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2026-41731, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

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

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 4.0.6), your application is affected.

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

JsonKafkaHeaderMapper and the deprecated DefaultKafkaHeaderMapper matched type headers against trusted packages using a prefix check, meaning that trusting any package implicitly trusted all of its subpackages. Combined with Jackson's default bean deserialization, a producer could supply crafted header values that caused the consumer to deserialize arbitrary JDK types. Affected versions: Spring for Apache Kafka 4.0.0 through 4.0.5; 3.3.0 through 3.3.15; 3.2.0 through 3.2.13; 2.9.0 through 2.9.13; 2.8.0 through 2.8.11.

CVE-2026-41731 Affected Spring Framework Versions

5 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
4.0.63.3.16
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka
maven/org.springframework.kafka/spring-kafka
Maven
≥ 4.0.0
< 4.0.6
4.0.6
org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka
maven/org.springframework.kafka/spring-kafka
Maven
≥ 3.3.0
< 3.3.16
3.3.16
org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka
maven/org.springframework.kafka/spring-kafka
Maven
≥ 3.2.0
≤ 3.2.13
org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka
maven/org.springframework.kafka/spring-kafka
Maven
≥ 2.9.0
≤ 2.9.13
org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka
maven/org.springframework.kafka/spring-kafka
Maven
≤ 2.8.11

References

NVD — CVE-2026-41731 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41731
Spring Framework Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-kafka
Spring Framework Security Information SECURITY
https://spring.io/security/cve-2026-41731

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-41731?
CVE-2026-41731 is a security vulnerability in Spring Framework involving In Spring for Apache Kafka, overly broad trusted-package matching in header mappers exposes JDK classes to deserialization under CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data.
Which Spring Framework versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 4.0.6, 3.3.16 across affected packages: org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka.
What version fixes CVE-2026-41731?
Upgrading to 4.0.6, 3.3.16 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is spring-kafka affected?
Yes, org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka is affected in releases prior to 4.0.6, 3.3.16, Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to 4.0.6, 3.3.16, Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-41731?
CVE-2026-41731 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-41731?
CVE-2026-41731 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-2026-41731?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.springframework.kafka'. 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-xq69-5h5v-x9x4",
  "modified" : "2026-06-12T21:51:09Z",
  "published" : "2026-06-10T00:31:52Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-41731" ],
  "summary" : "In Spring for Apache Kafka, overly broad trusted-package matching in header mappers exposes JDK classes to deserialization",
  "details" : "JsonKafkaHeaderMapper and the deprecated DefaultKafkaHeaderMapper matched type headers against trusted packages using a prefix check, meaning that trusting any package implicitly trusted all of its subpackages. Combined with Jackson's default bean deserialization, a producer could supply crafted header values that caused the consumer to deserialize arbitrary JDK types.\n\nAffected versions:\nSpring for Apache Kafka 4.0.0 through 4.0.5; 3.3.0 through 3.3.15; 3.2.0 through 3.2.13; 2.9.0 through 2.9.13; 2.8.0 through 2.8.11.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "4.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "4.0.6"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 4.0.5"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.3.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.3.16"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 3.3.15"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.2.0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "3.2.13"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.9.0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "2.9.13"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "2.8.11"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41731"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-kafka"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://spring.io/security/cve-2026-41731"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-502" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-06-12T21:51:09Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-06-10T00:16:52Z"
  }
}