CVE-2023-20873
CRITICALCVE-2023-20873 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) vulnerability in org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2023-20873 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Spring Boot Security Bypass with Wildcard Pattern Matching on Cloud Foundry
Blast Radius
org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure☕org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure☕org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure☕org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigureReal-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 Boot versions 3.0.0 - 3.0.5, 2.7.0 - 2.7.10, and older unsupported versions, an application that is deployed to Cloud Foundry could be susceptible to a security bypass. Users of affected versions should apply the following mitigation: 3.0.x users should upgrade to 3.0.6+. 2.7.x users should upgrade to 2.7.11+. Users of older, unsupported versions should upgrade to 3.0.6+ or 2.7.11+.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure | ≥ 3.0.0&&< 3.0.6 | 3.0.6 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure | ≥ 2.7.0&&< 2.7.11 | 2.7.11 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure | ≥ 2.6.0&&< 2.6.15 | 2.6.15 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure | all versions | 2.5.15 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure to 3.0.6 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2023-20873 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 pinpoints whether CVE-2023-20873 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2023-20873. 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-2023-20873 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2023-20873 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.