How severe is CVE-2022-22978?

CVE-2022-22978 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10, rated CRITICAL. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2022-22978?

CVE-2022-22978 affects the following packages: org.springframework.security:spring-security-core (Maven), org.springframework.security:spring-security-core (Maven), org.springframework.security:spring-security-core (Maven), org.springframework.security:spring-security-web (Maven), org.springframework.security:spring-security-web (Maven), org.springframework.security:spring-security-web (Maven). Ecosystems affected: Maven.

How do I fix CVE-2022-22978?

Update org.springframework.security:spring-security-core to version 5.5.7 or later. Run your dependency manager's update command and verify no transitive dependencies pin the vulnerable version. Use O3 Security's SCA scanner to confirm the fix is applied across your entire dependency tree.

Is CVE-2022-22978 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 6 known exploit references for CVE-2022-22978, including 3 in-the-wild exploitations observed on GitHub and other sources. Treat this as actively exploitable and prioritize patching immediately. All exploit code should only be run in an isolated sandbox environment for research or authorized testing — never against production systems without explicit written authorization.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2022-22978?

CVE-2022-22978 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 90.2%, placing it in the 100th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A score above 50% indicates significantly elevated exploitation risk — immediate patching is strongly recommended.

When was CVE-2022-22978 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2022-22978 was published on May 19, 2022 and was last updated on April 10, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

☕ Maven

CVE-2022-22978

CRITICAL

Authorization bypass in Spring Security

Also known asGHSA-hh32-7344-cg2f

Published

May 19, 2022

Updated

Apr 10, 2026

Affected

6 pkgs

Patched

6 / 6

Exploits

6 known

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

90.2%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Very High Risk100th percentile0.00%

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.

Blast Radius

6 pkgs affected

☕org.springframework.security:spring-security-core☕org.springframework.security:spring-security-core☕org.springframework.security:spring-security-core☕org.springframework.security:spring-security-web☕org.springframework.security:spring-security-web☕org.springframework.security:spring-security-web

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

In spring security versions prior to 5.4.11+, 5.5.7+ , 5.6.4+ and older unsupported versions, RegexRequestMatcher can easily be misconfigured to be bypassed on some servlet containers. Applications using RegexRequestMatcher with . in the regular expression are possibly vulnerable to an authorization bypass.

Affected Packages

6 total 6 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.springframework.security:spring-security-core`	≥ 5.5.0&&< 5.5.7	5.5.7
☕Maven	`org.springframework.security:spring-security-core`	≥ 5.6.0&&< 5.6.4	5.6.4
☕Maven	`org.springframework.security:spring-security-core`	all versions	5.4.11
☕Maven	`org.springframework.security:spring-security-web`	≥ 5.5.0&&< 5.5.7	5.5.7
☕Maven	`org.springframework.security:spring-security-web`	≥ 5.6.0&&< 5.6.4	5.6.4
☕Maven	`org.springframework.security:spring-security-web`	all versions	5.4.11

Exploits & PoCs

Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.

In spring security versions prior to 5.4.11+, 5.5.7+ , 5.6.4+ and older …

github.comGithubMay 2022

In spring security versions prior to 5.4.11+, 5.5.7+ , 5.6.4+ and older …

github.comGithubJun 2022

In spring security versions prior to 5.4.11+, 5.5.7+ , 5.6.4+ and older …

github.comGithubJul 2022

Frequently Asked Questions

In spring security versions prior to 5.4.11+, 5.5.7+ , 5.6.4+ and older unsupported versions, RegexRequestMatcher can easily be misconfigured to be bypassed on some servlet containers. Applications using RegexRequestMatcher with `.` in the regular expression are possibly vulnerable to an authorization bypass.

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2022-22978 in your stack?

O3 detects CVE-2022-22978 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.

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