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 2.0.10 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2016-4977 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2016-4977 in my Maven dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.springframework.security.oauth:spring-security-oauth2, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate CVE-2016-4977 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

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 79.2%, 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 October 24, 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

Not in CISA KEV

HIGH severity

CVE-2016-4977 — spring-security-oauth2

HIGH

CVE-2016-4977 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.8) CWE-19 vulnerability in org.springframework.security.oauth:spring-security-oauth2. 2 public exploit or proof-of-concept references are indexed, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.springframework.security.oauth:spring-security-oauth2 — see the affected versions and patch details below.

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

Oct 24, 2026

Affected

2 pkgs

Patched

2 / 2

Exploits

2 known

Exploitation data as of Nov 5, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

79.2%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Very High Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs100th percentile — riskier than 100% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

How urgent is this, really

Where this sits among everything scored

Real-World Exposure

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`org.springframework.security.oauth:spring-security-oauth2:2.0.10`
☕Maven	`org.springframework.security.oauth:spring-security-oauth2`	≥ 1.0.0&&< 1.0.5	1.0.5`org.springframework.security.oauth:spring-security-oauth2:1.0.5`

Affected Products

1 product · 16 configurations

Application

spring security oauthpivotal

16 versions

1.0.01.0.11.0.21.0.31.0.41.0.52.0.02.0.12.0.22.0.32.0.42.0.5

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

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.springframework.security.oauth:spring-security-oauth2, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.springframework.security.oauth:spring-security-oauth2 to 2.0.10 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2016-4977 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

How to detect CVE-2016-4977

A community-maintained Nuclei template exists for this CVE. You can scan for it directly:

nuclei -id cve-2016-4977 -u https://target

Template: Spring Security OAuth2 Remote Command Execution
Severity: high
Impact: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to remote code execution, compromising the affected system.
Remediation: Users of 1.0.x should not use whitelabel views for approval and error pages. Users of 2.0.x should either not use whitelabel views for approval and error pages or upgrade to 2.0.10 or later.

Template by ProjectDiscovery nuclei-templates (princechaddha), MIT licensed. View the full template. Scan only systems you are authorised to test.

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

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