CVE-2026-41726: Spring Framework Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-xvfq-4q6q-gxx7
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-770
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-41726 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling) affecting Spring Framework libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves in spring for apache kafka, unbounded delegate cache keyed on user-controlled, potentially malicious selector header. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 4.0.6, 3.3.16.

CVE-2026-41726 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-41726
GHSA Identifier GHSA-xvfq-4q6q-gxx7
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling
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:N/A:H).

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

How to Fix CVE-2026-41726

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-2026-41726, 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-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling, where the product allocates a reusable resource or group of resources on behalf of an actor without imposing any intended restrictions on the size or number of resources that can be allocated. 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

When an application opts into DelegatingDeserializer, a producer can grow the consumer's heap without bound by sending records with unique random spring.kafka.serialization.selector header values, eventually causing GC thrash and OutOfMemoryError. 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-2026-41726 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-2026-41726 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41726
Spring Framework Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-kafka/issues/4489
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-kafka/commit/ca2337ba789c5778a10197bda17a62915247ff6c
Spring Framework Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-kafka
Spring Framework Security Information SECURITY
https://spring.io/security/cve-2026-41726

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-41726?
CVE-2026-41726 is a security vulnerability in Spring Framework involving In Spring for Apache Kafka, unbounded delegate cache keyed on user-controlled, potentially malicious selector header under CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling.
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-2026-41726?
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-2026-41726?
CVE-2026-41726 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:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-41726?
CVE-2026-41726 is classified under CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling (The product allocates a reusable resource or group of resources on behalf of an actor without imposing any intended restrictions on the size or number of resources that can be allocated.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-41726?
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-xvfq-4q6q-gxx7",
  "modified" : "2026-06-12T21:51:01Z",
  "published" : "2026-06-10T00:31:52Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-41726" ],
  "summary" : "In Spring for Apache Kafka, unbounded delegate cache keyed on user-controlled, potentially malicious selector header",
  "details" : "When an application opts into DelegatingDeserializer, a producer can grow the consumer's heap without bound by sending records with unique random spring.kafka.serialization.selector header values, eventually causing GC thrash and OutOfMemoryError.\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:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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-2026-41726"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-kafka/issues/4489"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-kafka/commit/ca2337ba789c5778a10197bda17a62915247ff6c"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-kafka"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://spring.io/security/cve-2026-41726"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-770" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-06-12T21:51:01Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-06-10T00:16:52Z"
  }
}