CVE-2020-5405: Spring Framework Path Traversal Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-g86w-v5vg-9gxf
Share
CVSS 6.5
CWE-23 CWE-22
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-5405 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) path traversal vulnerability (CWE-23: Relative Path Traversal) affecting Spring Framework libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves directory traversal attack in spring cloud config. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.1.7, 2.2.2.

CVE-2020-5405 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-5405
GHSA Identifier GHSA-g86w-v5vg-9gxf
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-23: Relative Path Traversal
Affected Product Spring Framework
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

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:H/A:N).

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

How to Fix CVE-2020-5405

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.cloud:spring-cloud-config-server fixed: 2.1.7 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-cloud-config-server</artifactId>
    <version>2.1.7</version>
</dependency>
org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-config-server fixed: 2.2.2 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-cloud-config-server</artifactId>
    <version>2.2.2</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.cloud

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2020-5405, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

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

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 2.1.7), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.springframework.cloud 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-23: Relative Path Traversal, where the product uses external input to construct a pathname that should be within a restricted directory, but it does not properly neutralize sequences such as ".." that can resolve to a location that is outside of that directory. 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 Cloud Config, versions 2.2.x prior to 2.2.2, versions 2.1.x prior to 2.1.7, and older unsupported versions allow applications to serve arbitrary configuration files through the spring-cloud-config-server module. A malicious user, or attacker, can send a request using a specially crafted URL that can lead a directory traversal attack.

CVE-2020-5405 Affected Spring Framework Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.1.72.2.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-config-server
maven/org.springframework.cloud/spring-cloud-config-server
Maven
≥ 2.1.0
< 2.1.7
2.1.7
org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-config-server
maven/org.springframework.cloud/spring-cloud-config-server
Maven
≥ 2.2.0
< 2.2.2
2.2.2

References

NVD — CVE-2020-5405 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-5405
Spring Framework Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/spring-cloud/spring-cloud-config/spring-cloud-config-server
Spring Framework Security Information SECURITY
https://pivotal.io/security/cve-2020-5405

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-5405?
CVE-2020-5405 is a security vulnerability in Spring Framework involving Directory traversal attack in Spring Cloud Config under CWE-23: Relative Path Traversal.
Which Spring Framework versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.1.7, 2.2.2 across affected packages: org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-config-server.
What version fixes CVE-2020-5405?
Upgrading to 2.1.7, 2.2.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is spring-cloud-config-server affected?
Yes, org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-config-server is affected in releases prior to 2.1.7, 2.2.2. Upgrade your dependency to 2.1.7, 2.2.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-5405?
CVE-2020-5405 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-5405?
CVE-2020-5405 is classified under CWE-23: Relative Path Traversal (The product uses external input to construct a pathname that should be within a restricted directory, but it does not properly neutralize sequences such as ".." that can resolve to a location that is outside of that directory.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2020-5405?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.springframework.cloud'. 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-g86w-v5vg-9gxf",
  "modified" : "2021-08-25T22:01:25Z",
  "published" : "2020-06-05T16:11:36Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-5405" ],
  "summary" : "Directory traversal attack in Spring Cloud Config",
  "details" : "Spring Cloud Config, versions 2.2.x prior to 2.2.2, versions 2.1.x prior to 2.1.7, and older unsupported versions allow applications to serve arbitrary configuration files through the spring-cloud-config-server module. A malicious user, or attacker, can send a request using a specially crafted URL that can lead a directory traversal attack.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-config-server"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.1.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.1.7"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-config-server"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.2.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.2.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-5405"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/spring-cloud/spring-cloud-config/spring-cloud-config-server"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://pivotal.io/security/cve-2020-5405"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22", "CWE-23" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-04T19:06:58Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-03-05T19:15:00Z"
  }
}