CVE-2016-9879 — spring-security-core
HIGHCVE-2016-9879 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) CWE-417 vulnerability in org.springframework.security:spring-security-core. A fix is available for org.springframework.security:spring-security-core — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Security Constraint Bypass in Spring Security
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2016-9879 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 385,738 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.
Real-World Exposure
org.springframework.security:spring-security-core☕org.springframework.security:spring-security-core☕org.springframework.security:spring-security-coreReal-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
Spring Security does not consider URL path parameters when processing security constraints. By adding a URL path parameter with an encoded "/" to a request, an attacker may be able to bypass a security constraint. The root cause of this issue is a lack of clarity regarding the handling of path parameters in the Servlet Specification (see below). Some Servlet containers include path parameters in the value returned for getPathInfo() and some do not. Spring Security uses the value returned by getPathInfo() as part of the process of mapping requests to security constraints. The unexpected presence of path parameters can cause a constraint to be bypassed.
Users of Apache Tomcat (all current versions) are not affected by this vulnerability since Tomcat follows the guidance previously provided by the Servlet Expert group and strips path parameters from the value returned by getContextPath(), getServletPath() and getPathInfo() [1].
Users of other Servlet containers based on Apache Tomcat may or may not be affected depending on whether or not the handling of path parameters has been modified.
Users of IBM WebSphere Application Server 8.5.x are known to be affected.
Users of other containers that implement the Servlet specification may be affected.
[1] https://issues.apache.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=25015
Affected Pivotal Products and Versions
Severity is high unless otherwise noted.
- Spring Security 3.2.0 - 3.2.9
- Spring Security 4.0.x - 4.1.3
- Spring Security 4.2.0
- Older unsupported versions are also affected
Mitigation
Adopting one of the following mitigations will protect against this vulnerability.
- Use a Servlet container known not to include path parameters in the return values for getServletPath() and getPathInfo()
- Upgrading to Spring Security 3.2.10, 4.1.4 or 4.2.1 will reject the request with a RequestRejectedException if the presence of an encoded "/" is detected. Note: If you wish to disable this feature it can be disabled by setting the DefaultHttpFirewall.allowUrlEncodedSlash = true. However, disabling this feature will mean applications are vulnerable (in containers that return path parameters in getServletPath() or getPathInfo()).
Credit
The issue was identified by Shumpei Asahara & Yuji Ito from NTT DATA Corporation and responsibly reported to Pivotal.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.security:spring-security-core | all versions | 3.2.10.RELEASEorg.springframework.security:spring-security-core:3.2.10.RELEASE |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.security:spring-security-core | ≥ 4.0.0.RELEASE&&< 4.1.4.RELEASE | 4.1.4.RELEASEorg.springframework.security:spring-security-core:4.1.4.RELEASE |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.security:spring-security-core | ≥ 4.2.0.RELEASE&&< 4.2.1.RELEASE | 4.2.1.RELEASEorg.springframework.security:spring-security-core:4.2.1.RELEASE |
Affected Products
websphere application serveribmspring securityvmwareDetection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.springframework.security:spring-security-core, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.springframework.security:spring-security-core to 3.2.10.RELEASE or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2016-9879 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.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
Use a Servlet container known not to include path parameters in the return values for getServletPath() and getPathInfo()Source: Red Hat security advisory for CVE-2016-9879 (CC BY 4.0)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2016-9879 in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.