CVE-2021-22096 — spring-core
MEDIUMCVE-2021-22096 is a medium-severity (CVSS 4.3) CWE-117 vulnerability in org.springframework:spring-core. A fix is available for org.springframework:spring-core — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Improper Output Neutralization for Logs in Spring Framework
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-2021-22096 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 378,567 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
org.springframework:spring-core☕org.springframework:spring-core☕org.springframework:spring☕org.springframework:springReal-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
In Spring Framework versions 5.3.0 - 5.3.10, 5.2.0 - 5.2.17, and older unsupported versions, it is possible for a user to provide malicious input to cause the insertion of additional log entries.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.springframework:spring-core | ≥ 5.3.0&&< 5.3.11 | 5.3.11org.springframework:spring-core:5.3.11 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework:spring-core | ≥ 5.2.0&&< 5.2.18 | 5.2.18org.springframework:spring-core:5.2.18 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework:spring | ≥ 5.2.0&&< 5.2.18 | 5.2.18org.springframework:spring:5.2.18 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework:spring | ≥ 5.3.0&&< 5.3.11 | 5.3.11org.springframework:spring:5.3.11 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.springframework:spring-core, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.springframework:spring-core to 5.3.11 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2021-22096 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-2021-22096 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2021-22096. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
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.
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Fuse 7.11 | springframework | RHSA-2022:5532 |
| Red Hat Virtualization Engine 4.4 | ovirt-dependencies-0:4.5.2-1.el8ev | RHSA-2022:5555 |
| Red Hat Virtualization Engine 4.4 | org.ovirt.engine-root-0:4.5.2.4-1 | RHSA-2022:6393 |
| RHDM 7.12.1 | springframework | RHSA-2022:1110 |
| RHPAM 7.12.1 | springframework | RHSA-2022:1108 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2021-22096 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2021-22096 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.