How severe is CVE-2018-18855?

No CVSS score has been assigned to CVE-2018-18855 yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2018-18855?

CVE-2018-18855 affects the following packages: io.spray:spray-json_2.10 (Maven), io.spray:spray-json_2.11 (Maven), io.spray:spray-json_2.11.0-RC4 (Maven), io.spray:spray-json_2.12 (Maven), io.spray:spray-json_2.12.0-M3 (Maven), io.spray:spray-json_2.12.0-M5 (Maven), io.spray:spray-json_2.12.0-RC1 (Maven), io.spray:spray-json_2.12.0-RC2 (Maven), and 4 more. Ecosystems affected: Maven.

How do I fix CVE-2018-18855?

Update io.spray:spray-json_2.10 to 1.3.5 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2018-18855 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2018-18855 in my Maven dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for io.spray:spray-json_2.10, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate CVE-2018-18855 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.

How does O3 Security protect against CVE-2018-18855?

O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2018-18855 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.

Is CVE-2018-18855 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2018-18855 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

When was CVE-2018-18855 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2018-18855 was published on June 28, 2022 and was last updated on September 30, 2025. 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

CVE-2018-18855 — spray-json_2.10

Fix: spray/spray-json#284

CVE-2018-18855 is a remote code execution vulnerability in io.spray:spray-json_2.10. A fix is available for io.spray:spray-json_2.10 — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in Spray JSON

Published

Jun 28, 2022

Updated

Sep 30, 2025

Affected

12 pkgs

Patched

4 / 12

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Sep 30, 2025 · OSV.dev, FIRST.org (EPSS)

Real-World Exposure

12 pkgs affected

☕io.spray:spray-json_2.10☕io.spray:spray-json_2.11☕io.spray:spray-json_2.11.0-RC4☕io.spray:spray-json_2.12☕io.spray:spray-json_2.12.0-M3☕io.spray:spray-json_2.12.0-M5☕io.spray:spray-json_2.12.0-RC1☕io.spray:spray-json_2.12.0-RC2+4 more

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

Recursive decent parsers are susceptible too StackOverflowExceptions on too deeply nested structures as currently "open" parsing state is kept on the stack.

Affected Packages

12 total 4 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`io.spray:spray-json_2.10`	all versions	1.3.5`io.spray:spray-json_2.10:1.3.5`
☕Maven	`io.spray:spray-json_2.11`	all versions	1.3.5`io.spray:spray-json_2.11:1.3.5`
☕Maven	`io.spray:spray-json_2.11.0-RC4`	all versions	No fix
☕Maven	`io.spray:spray-json_2.12`	all versions	1.3.5`io.spray:spray-json_2.12:1.3.5`
☕Maven	`io.spray:spray-json_2.12.0-M3`	all versions	No fix
☕Maven	`io.spray:spray-json_2.12.0-M5`	all versions	No fix

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for io.spray:spray-json_2.10, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update io.spray:spray-json_2.10 to 1.3.5 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2018-18855 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-2018-18855 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.

Tailored to CVE-2018-18855. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Recursive decent parsers are susceptible too StackOverflowExceptions on too deeply nested structures as currently "open" parsing state is kept on the stack.

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2018-18855 in your dependencies?

O3 Security finds CVE-2018-18855 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.

Scan my dependencies How O3 SCA works