CVE-2018-1196: Spring Framework Spring-boot Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-xx65-cc7g-9pfp
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CVSS 5.9
CWE-59
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-1196 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.9) spring-boot vulnerability (CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')) affecting Spring Framework libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves spring-boot. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.5.10.

CVE-2018-1196 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-1196
GHSA Identifier GHSA-xx65-cc7g-9pfp
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.9
CWE Classification CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
Affected Product Spring Framework
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.9

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N).

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 None (C:N)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2018-1196

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 fixed: 1.5.10 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot</artifactId>
    <version>1.5.10</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-2018-1196, 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 1.5.10), 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-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following'), where the product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource. 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 supports an embedded launch script that can be used to easily run the application as a systemd or init.d linux service. The script included with Spring Boot 1.5.9 and earlier and 2.0.0.M1 through 2.0.0.M7 is susceptible to a symlink attack which allows the "run_user" to overwrite and take ownership of any file on the same system. In order to instigate the attack, the application must be installed as a service and the "run_user" requires shell access to the server. Spring Boot application that are not installed as a service, or are not using the embedded launch script are not susceptible.

CVE-2018-1196 Affected Spring Framework Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.5.10
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.springframework.boot:spring-boot
maven/org.springframework.boot/spring-boot
Maven
≥ 1.5.0
< 1.5.10
1.5.10

References

NVD — CVE-2018-1196 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-1196
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-xx65-cc7g-9pfp
Spring Framework Security Information SECURITY
https://pivotal.io/security/cve-2018-1196

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-1196?
CVE-2018-1196 is a security vulnerability in Spring Framework involving spring-boot under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following').
Which Spring Framework versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.5.10 across affected packages: org.springframework.boot:spring-boot.
What version fixes CVE-2018-1196?
Upgrading to 1.5.10 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is spring-boot affected?
Yes, org.springframework.boot:spring-boot is affected in releases prior to 1.5.10. Upgrade your dependency to 1.5.10 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-1196?
CVE-2018-1196 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.9 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-1196?
CVE-2018-1196 is classified under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') (The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2018-1196?
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-xx65-cc7g-9pfp",
  "modified" : "2021-09-22T18:26:44Z",
  "published" : "2018-10-18T18:05:57Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-1196" ],
  "summary" : "Moderate severity vulnerability that affects org.springframework.boot:spring-boot",
  "details" : "Spring Boot supports an embedded launch script that can be used to easily run the application as a systemd or init.d linux service. The script included with Spring Boot 1.5.9 and earlier and 2.0.0.M1 through 2.0.0.M7 is susceptible to a symlink attack which allows the \"run_user\" to overwrite and take ownership of any file on the same system. In order to instigate the attack, the application must be installed as a service and the \"run_user\" requires shell access to the server. Spring Boot application that are not installed as a service, or are not using the embedded launch script are not susceptible.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.boot:spring-boot"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "1.5.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.5.10"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-1196"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-xx65-cc7g-9pfp"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://pivotal.io/security/cve-2018-1196"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-59" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T22:04:53Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2018-03-19T18:29:00Z"
  }
}