Spring Boot CVE-2025-22235: High Severity Vulnerability

by Admin 56 views
Spring Boot CVE-2025-22235: A Deep Dive into a High Severity Vulnerability

Hey folks! Let's dive into something important: the CVE-2025-22235 vulnerability found in Spring Boot. This isn't just some minor issue; we're talking about a high-severity problem that you need to understand. In this article, we'll break down what this vulnerability is all about, why it matters, and, most importantly, how to fix it. We'll explore the details, including the vulnerable library, the impact, and the suggested steps to get your projects secure. Let's get started!

Understanding CVE-2025-22235: The Core Issue

So, what exactly is CVE-2025-22235? In a nutshell, this vulnerability affects Spring Boot applications. The problem arises when the EndpointRequest.to() method creates a matcher for null/**. This happens if the actuator endpoint (which is used for monitoring and management) is either disabled or not exposed. This can potentially lead to security issues. To put it simply, an attacker might exploit this to gain unauthorized access or cause other problems within your application. The key takeaway here is that it's crucial to understand how this can impact your systems and what you need to do to protect them. Let's dig deeper into the specifics of this vulnerability to better grasp its implications.

Vulnerable Library: spring-boot-2.4.0.jar

This vulnerability specifically targets the spring-boot-2.4.0.jar library. This library is a core component of the Spring Boot framework. It's used in many applications, making this vulnerability quite widespread. The library is located in the directory /home/wss-scanner/.m2/repository/org/springframework/boot/spring-boot/2.4.0/spring-boot-2.4.0.jar. If your project uses this version of Spring Boot, it's essential to take action immediately. Let's consider where this library sits within the project's dependency hierarchy and how it becomes a part of your application. This understanding is the first step towards resolving the security issue.

Dependency Hierarchy

To understand where the vulnerable library sits, let's look at the dependency hierarchy. The root library in this case is spring-boot-starter-web-2.4.0.jar. It's a key element in Spring Boot applications using web functionality. This then relies on spring-boot-starter-2.4.0.jar, which in turn includes our vulnerable library: spring-boot-2.4.0.jar. Understanding this structure is vital for identifying all the projects affected and ensuring that you update all the necessary components. Identifying where the vulnerability exists within your dependency tree will help you target your remediation efforts. The dependency hierarchy shows you how it's all connected.

Vulnerability Details: What's the Real Impact?

Now, let's get into the nitty-gritty. What are the specific implications of CVE-2025-22235? When EndpointRequest.to() creates a matcher for null/**, this can open doors for potential security breaches. An attacker can exploit this to potentially access sensitive information or execute malicious code. It's a serious threat. It is especially critical for those using the actuator endpoints. The vulnerability can affect your application's confidentiality, integrity, and availability, even if the impact is considered low in these metrics. By understanding the details, you can more effectively assess the level of risk to your environment and prioritize your response. The ability to understand the details will help you determine the best path to safeguard your system.

Published Date

The vulnerability was published on 2025-04-28. It is essential to be aware of the publishing date to know how long the vulnerability has been public and how urgently you must address it. This also helps in the context of the available fixes and patches. Being up-to-date with these dates can help you in your risk assessment.

URL Reference

For more detailed information, you can find the vulnerability details on the Mend.io database at the following URL: https://www.mend.io/vulnerability-database/CVE-2025-22235. This URL is an essential resource for keeping updated on the evolving understanding of this vulnerability. There you will find updates, additional insights, and any changes that come with future analysis. Staying on top of this information will provide greater assurance for your security.

CVSS 3 Score Details: Assessing the Risk

Let's break down the CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) 3 score, which gives us an idea of how severe this vulnerability is. The base score for CVE-2025-22235 is 7.3. This indicates a high severity level. It means the vulnerability is relatively easy to exploit, and there's a good chance of potential harm. Understanding the CVSS score can help you with your vulnerability prioritization process. It helps you assess how much time and resources should go into resolving the issue. This allows for informed decision-making.

Exploitability Metrics

The exploitability metrics give us clues about how easy it is for an attacker to exploit the vulnerability:

  • Attack Vector: Network.
  • Attack Complexity: Low.
  • Privileges Required: None.
  • User Interaction: None.
  • Scope: Unchanged.

These metrics suggest that the vulnerability can be exploited over a network with minimal effort. There's no need for special privileges or user interaction, which makes it particularly concerning. The impact could be substantial. It's essential to understand these metrics to assess your exposure. The metrics underscore the importance of prompt action.

Impact Metrics

Impact metrics tell us what the potential damage is:

  • Confidentiality Impact: Low.
  • Integrity Impact: Low.
  • Availability Impact: Low.

Even with these being low, the potential damage cannot be ignored. The overall risk is still considerable. While the individual impacts may seem limited, they can contribute to a larger security breach. Therefore, a proactive stance on remediation is recommended.

Accessing More Information

For more information on CVSS3 Scores, you can click here. This resource gives detailed insights into the different metrics and how they are calculated. It will help you better understand the scoring system.

Suggested Fix: How to Resolve the Vulnerability

Alright, so how do we fix this? The suggested fix is to upgrade your Spring Boot version. Specifically, update to org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure:3.3.11. Upgrading is usually the best approach to ensure that you are protected against the vulnerability. However, it's still good to understand the details of the patch to see that it aligns with your environment.

Type of Fix

The fix is an upgrade to a newer version of the Spring Boot library. By upgrading, you'll incorporate the necessary patches. This will fix the vulnerability. Make sure that you test the update thoroughly. It's critical to make sure that the upgrade does not cause any new problems or incompatibilities.

Origin and Release Date

The fix comes from https://spring.io/security/cve-2025-22235. The release date of the fix is 2025-04-24. Knowing the origin and release date gives you confidence that the fix is official. It also helps you understand the development timeline. This ensures that you have the most up-to-date and reliable information. Make sure that you review the official documentation.

Fix Resolution

The specific fix resolution is to upgrade to org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure:3.3.11. This ensures that you have the patched version. It's an easy fix. Implement it and run tests to ensure your system is secure. This will ensure that your system is secured against the identified vulnerability.

Stay ahead in open-source security! Check out Mend here to learn more.