How severe is CVE-2016-4977?

CVE-2016-4977 has a CVSS score of 8.8/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2016-4977?

CVE-2016-4977 affects the following packages: org.springframework.security.oauth:spring-security-oauth2 (Maven), org.springframework.security.oauth:spring-security-oauth2 (Maven). Ecosystems affected: Maven.

How do I fix CVE-2016-4977?

Update org.springframework.security.oauth:spring-security-oauth2 to version 2.0.10 or later. Run your dependency manager's update command and verify no transitive dependencies pin the vulnerable version. Use O3 Security's SCA scanner to confirm the fix is applied across your entire dependency tree.

Is CVE-2016-4977 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 2 known exploit references for CVE-2016-4977, including 1 in-the-wild exploitation observed on GitHub and other sources. Treat this as actively exploitable and prioritize patching immediately. All exploit code should only be run in an isolated sandbox environment for research or authorized testing — never against production systems without explicit written authorization.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2016-4977?

CVE-2016-4977 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 93.7%, placing it in the 100th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A score above 50% indicates significantly elevated exploitation risk — immediate patching is strongly recommended.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2016-4977?

CVE-2016-4977 is classified as CWE-19 (CWE-19). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

Is there exploit tooling available for CVE-2016-4977?

A Nuclei detection template exists for CVE-2016-4977, meaning automated scanners can fingerprint it. Public exploit tooling significantly increases real-world risk — prioritize patching and ensure detection coverage. Exploit tooling should only ever be used in isolated, authorized testing environments.

When was CVE-2016-4977 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2016-4977 was published on May 25, 2017 and was last updated on April 10, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

☕ Maven

CVE-2016-4977

HIGH

Spring Security OAuth vulnerable to remote code execution (RCE) via specially crafted request using whitelabel views

Also known asGHSA-7q9c-h23x-65fq

Published

May 25, 2017

Updated

Apr 10, 2026

Affected

2 pkgs

Patched

2 / 2

Exploits

2 known

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

93.7%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Very High Risk100th percentile0.00%

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.

Blast Radius

2 pkgs affected

☕org.springframework.security.oauth:spring-security-oauth2☕org.springframework.security.oauth:spring-security-oauth2

Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.

Description

When processing authorization requests using the whitelabel views in Spring Security OAuth 2.0.0 to 2.0.9 and 1.0.0 to 1.0.5, the response_type parameter value was executed as Spring SpEL which enabled a malicious user to trigger remote code execution via the crafting of the value for response_type.

Affected Packages

2 total 2 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.springframework.security.oauth:spring-security-oauth2`	≥ 2.0.0&&< 2.0.10	2.0.10
☕Maven	`org.springframework.security.oauth:spring-security-oauth2`	≥ 1.0.0&&< 1.0.5	1.0.5

Exploits & PoCs

Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.

When processing authorization requests using the whitelabel views in Spr…

github.comGithubJun 2022

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2016-4977 in your stack?

O3 detects CVE-2016-4977 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.

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