CVE-2018-18853 — spray-json_2.12
HIGHCVE-2018-18853 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) Uncontrolled Resource Consumption vulnerability in io.spray:spray-json_2.12. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for io.spray:spray-json_2.12 — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in spray-json when parsing decimal digit fields
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-2018-18853 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 379,145 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
io.spray:spray-json_2.12☕io.spray:spray-json_2.11☕io.spray:spray-json_2.10Real-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
Lightbend Spray spray-json through 1.3.4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (resource consumption) because of Algorithmic Complexity during the parsing of a field composed of many decimal digits.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | io.spray:spray-json_2.12 | all versions | 1.3.5io.spray:spray-json_2.12:1.3.5 |
| ☕Maven | io.spray:spray-json_2.11 | all versions | 1.3.5io.spray:spray-json_2.11:1.3.5 |
| ☕Maven | io.spray:spray-json_2.10 | all versions | 1.3.5io.spray:spray-json_2.10:1.3.5 |
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 io.spray:spray-json_2.12, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update io.spray:spray-json_2.12 to 1.3.5 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2018-18853 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Cap what an attacker can consume: apply request size, rate and timeout limits in front of the affected component, and run it with memory and CPU limits so exhaustion degrades one worker rather than the whole service.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2018-18853 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2018-18853. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2018-18853 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2018-18853 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.