{"id":"CVE-2022-27772","aliases":["GHSA-cm59-pr5q-cw85"],"url":"https://o3.security/vulnerability/CVE-2022-27772","summary":"Temporary Directory Hijacking to Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability in org.springframework.boot:spring-boot","details":"spring-boot versions prior to version `v2.2.11.RELEASE` was vulnerable to temporary directory hijacking. This vulnerability impacted the `org.springframework.boot.web.server.AbstractConfigurableWebServerFactory.createTempDir` method.\n\nThe vulnerable method is used to create a work directory for embedded web servers such as Tomcat and Jetty. The directory contains configuration files, JSP/class files, etc. If a local attacker got the permission to write in this directory, they could completely take over the application (ie. local privilege escalation).\n\n#### Impact Location\n\nThis vulnerability impacted the following source location:\n\n```java\n\t/**\n\t * Return the absolute temp dir for given web server.\n\t * @param prefix server name\n\t * @return the temp dir for given server.\n\t */\n\tprotected final File createTempDir(String prefix) {\n\t\ttry {\n\t\t\tFile tempDir = File.createTempFile(prefix + \".\", \".\" + getPort());\n\t\t\ttempDir.delete();\n\t\t\ttempDir.mkdir();\n\t\t\ttempDir.deleteOnExit();\n\t\t\treturn tempDir;\n\t\t}\n```\n\\- https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-boot/blob/ce70e7d768977242a8ea6f93188388f273be5851/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/web/server/AbstractConfigurableWebServerFactory.java#L165-L177\n\nThis vulnerability exists because `File.mkdir` returns `false` when it fails to create a directory, it does not throw an exception. As such, the following race condition exists:\n\n```java\nFile tmpDir =File.createTempFile(prefix + \".\", \".\" + getPort()); // Attacker knows the full path of the file that will be generated\n// delete the file that was created\ntmpDir.delete(); // Attacker sees file is deleted and begins a race to create their own directory before Jetty.\n// and make a directory of the same name\n// SECURITY VULNERABILITY: Race Condition! - Attacker beats java code and now owns this directory\ntmpDir.mkdirs(); // This method returns 'false' because it was unable to create the directory. No exception is thrown.\n// Attacker can write any new files to this directory that they wish.\n// Attacker can read any files created by this process.\n```\n\n### Prerequisites\n\nThis vulnerability impacts Unix-like systems, and very old versions of Mac OSX and Windows as they all share the system temporary directory between all users.\n\n### Patches\n\nThis vulnerability was inadvertently fixed as a part of this patch: https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-boot/commit/667ccdae84822072f9ea1a27ed5c77964c71002d\n\nThis vulnerability is patched in versions `v2.2.11.RELEASE` or later.\n\n### Workarounds\n\nSetting the `java.io.tmpdir` system environment variable to a directory that is exclusively owned by the executing user will fix this vulnerability for all operating systems.","published":"2022-03-30T17:45:42Z","modified":"2026-08-12T03:51:22.968126941Z","cvss":{"score":7.8,"severity":"HIGH","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H"},"epss":{"score":0.00597,"percentile":0.46414,"asOf":"2026-09-06"},"cisaKev":null,"exploitsKnown":1,"affectedPackages":[{"ecosystem":"Maven","name":"org.springframework.boot:spring-boot","fixedVersion":"2.2.11.RELEASE"}],"fix":{"url":"https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-boot/commit/667ccdae84822072f9ea1a27ed5c77964c71002d","label":"spring-projects/spring-boot@667ccda"},"references":[{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2022/27xxx/CVE-2022-27772.json"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://github.com/JLLeitschuh/security-research/security/advisories/GHSA-cm59-pr5q-cw85"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-27772"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-boot/commit/667ccdae84822072f9ea1a27ed5c77964c71002d"},{"type":"PACKAGE","url":"https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-boot"}],"provenance":{"sources":["OSV.dev","FIRST.org (EPSS)"],"lastVerified":"2026-08-12T03:51:22.968126941Z"}}