CVE-2017-8046 — spring-data-rest-core
CRITICALCVE-2017-8046 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) Improper Input Validation vulnerability in org.springframework.data:spring-data-rest-core. 8 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.springframework.data:spring-data-rest-core — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Remote code execution in PATCH requests in Spring Data REST
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-2017-8046 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 377,166 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.data:spring-data-rest-core☕org.springframework.data:spring-data-rest-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
Malicious PATCH requests submitted to servers using Spring Data REST versions prior to 2.6.9 (Ingalls SR9), versions prior to 3.0.1 (Kay SR1) and Spring Boot versions prior to 1.5.9, 2.0 M6 can use specially crafted JSON data to run arbitrary Java code.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.data:spring-data-rest-core | all versions | 2.6.9.RELEASEorg.springframework.data:spring-data-rest-core:2.6.9.RELEASE |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.data:spring-data-rest-core | ≥ 3.0.0&&< 3.0.1.RELEASE | 3.0.1.RELEASEorg.springframework.data:spring-data-rest-core:3.0.1.RELEASE |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Spring Data REST < 2.6.9 (Ingalls SR9) / 3.0.1 (Kay SR1) - PATCH Request Remote Code Execution
by Antonio Francesco Sardella · Mar 15, 2018
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.springframework.data:spring-data-rest-core, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.springframework.data:spring-data-rest-core to 2.6.9.RELEASE or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2017-8046 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-2017-8046 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2017-8046. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
How to detect CVE-2017-8046
A community-maintained Nuclei template exists for this CVE. You can scan for it directly:
nuclei -id cve-2017-8046 -u https://target- Template
- Spring Data REST < 2.6.9 (Ingalls SR9) / 3.0.1 (Kay SR1) - PATCH Request Remote Code Execution
- Severity
- critical
- Impact
- Malicious PATCH requests submitted to servers using Spring Data REST versions prior to 2.6.9 (Ingalls SR9), versions prior to 3.0.1 (Kay SR1) and Spring Boot versions prior to 1.5.9, 2.0 M6 can use specially crafted JSON data to run arbitrary Java code.
- Remediation
- To remediate this vulnerability, update to Spring Data REST version 2.6.9 or later, or 3.0.1 or later, and Spring Boot version 1.5.9 or later, or 2.0 M6 or later.
Template by ProjectDiscovery nuclei-templates (domwhewell-sage), MIT licensed. View the full template. Scan only systems you are authorised to test.
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.
While there might be compatibility issues upgrading Spring REST Data independently of the Spring Boot version we recommend that customers make sure they are using a fixed version of Spring Data REST 2.6.9, or 3.0.1. RHOAR has now upgraded to version 1.5.10 of Spring Boot which is compatible with fixed versions of…
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Fuse Intergration Services 2.0 based on Fuse 6.3 R7 | spring-boot | RHSA-2018:2405 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2017-8046 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2017-8046 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.