CVE-2016-4977 — spring-security-oauth2
HIGHCVE-2016-4977 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.8) CWE-19 vulnerability in org.springframework.security.oauth:spring-security-oauth2. 2 public exploit references exist, 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
EPSS Exploitation Probability
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.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2016-4977 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE sits: patch-first territory.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,238 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the 50–90% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
org.springframework.security.oauth:spring-security-oauth2☕org.springframework.security.oauth:spring-security-oauth2Real-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
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.security.oauth:spring-security-oauth2 | ≥ 2.0.0&&< 2.0.10 | 2.0.10org.springframework.security.oauth:spring-security-oauth2:2.0.10 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.security.oauth:spring-security-oauth2 | ≥ 1.0.0&&< 1.0.5 | 1.0.5org.springframework.security.oauth:spring-security-oauth2:1.0.5 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
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 O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2016-4977 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2016-4977. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
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
Is CVE-2016-4977 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2016-4977 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.