CVE-2021-22051: Spring Framework Request Injection Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-2r2v-q399-qq93
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-863 CWE-352
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-22051 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) request injection vulnerability (CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization) affecting Spring Framework libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves request injection in spring cloud gateway. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.0.5, 2.2.10.RELEASE0.5.

CVE-2021-22051 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-22051
GHSA Identifier GHSA-2r2v-q399-qq93
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization
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:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
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-2021-22051

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-gateway fixed: 3.0.5 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-cloud-gateway</artifactId>
    <version>3.0.5</version>
</dependency>
org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-gateway fixed: 2.2.10.RELEASE0.5 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-cloud-gateway</artifactId>
    <version>2.2.10.RELEASE0.5</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-2021-22051, 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 3.0.5), 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-863: Incorrect Authorization, where the product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check. 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

Applications using Spring Cloud Gateway are vulnerable to specifically crafted requests that could make an extra request on downstream services. Users of affected versions should apply the following mitigation: 3.0.x users should upgrade to 3.0.5+, 2.2.x users should upgrade to 2.2.10.RELEASE or newer.

CVE-2021-22051 Affected Spring Framework Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.0.52.2.10.RELEASE0.5
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-gateway
maven/org.springframework.cloud/spring-cloud-gateway
Maven
≥ 3.0.0
< 3.0.5
3.0.5
org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-gateway
maven/org.springframework.cloud/spring-cloud-gateway
Maven
≥ 2.2.0
< 2.2.10.RELEASE0.5
2.2.10.RELEASE0.5

References

NVD — CVE-2021-22051 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22051
Spring Framework Security Information SECURITY
https://tanzu.vmware.com/security/cve-2021-22051

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-22051?
CVE-2021-22051 is a security vulnerability in Spring Framework involving Request injection in Spring Cloud Gateway under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization.
Which Spring Framework versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.0.5, 2.2.10.RELEASE0.5 across affected packages: org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-gateway.
What version fixes CVE-2021-22051?
Upgrading to 3.0.5, 2.2.10.RELEASE0.5 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is spring-cloud-gateway affected?
Yes, org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-gateway is affected in releases prior to 3.0.5, 2.2.10.RELEASE0.5. Upgrade your dependency to 3.0.5, 2.2.10.RELEASE0.5 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-22051?
CVE-2021-22051 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-22051?
CVE-2021-22051 is classified under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization (The product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-22051?
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-2r2v-q399-qq93",
  "modified" : "2021-11-10T19:44:31Z",
  "published" : "2021-11-10T19:45:02Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-22051" ],
  "summary" : "Request injection in Spring Cloud Gateway",
  "details" : "Applications using Spring Cloud Gateway are vulnerable to specifically crafted requests that could make an extra request on downstream services. Users of affected versions should apply the following mitigation: 3.0.x users should upgrade to 3.0.5+, 2.2.x users should upgrade to 2.2.10.RELEASE or newer.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-gateway"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.0.5"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-gateway"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.2.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.2.10.RELEASE0.5"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2.2.10.RELEASE"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22051"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://tanzu.vmware.com/security/cve-2021-22051"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-352", "CWE-863" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-11-09T21:08:14Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-11-08T14:15:00Z"
  }
}