CVE-2022-35912 — grails-databinding
CRITICALCVE-2022-35912 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) vulnerability in org.grails:grails-databinding. A fix is available for org.grails:grails-databinding — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Grails framework Remote Code Execution via Data Binding
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-2022-35912 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 377,166 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.grails:grails-databinding☕org.grails:grails-databinding☕org.grails:grails-databinding☕org.grails:grails-databindingReal-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 grails-databinding in Grails before 3.3.15, 4.x before 4.1.1, 5.x before 5.1.9, and 5.2.x before 5.2.1 (at least when certain Java 8 configurations are used), data binding allows a remote attacker to execute code by gaining access to the class loader.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.grails:grails-databinding | ≥ 3.3.10&&< 3.3.15 | 3.3.15org.grails:grails-databinding:3.3.15 |
| ☕Maven | org.grails:grails-databinding | ≥ 4.0.0&&< 4.1.1 | 4.1.1org.grails:grails-databinding:4.1.1 |
| ☕Maven | org.grails:grails-databinding | ≥ 5.0.0&&< 5.1.9 | 5.1.9org.grails:grails-databinding:5.1.9 |
| ☕Maven | org.grails:grails-databinding | ≥ 5.2.0&&< 5.2.1 | 5.2.1org.grails:grails-databinding:5.2.1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.grails:grails-databinding, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.grails:grails-databinding to 3.3.15 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2022-35912 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-2022-35912 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2022-35912. 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-2022-35912 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2022-35912 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.