CVE-2023-34042 is a medium-severity (CVSS 4.1) CWE-732 vulnerability in org.springframework.security:spring-security-config. A fix is available for org.springframework.security:spring-security-config — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Spring Security's spring-security.xsd file is world writable
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2023-34042.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
Real-World Exposure
org.springframework.security:spring-security-config☕org.springframework.security:spring-security-config☕org.springframework.security:spring-security-config☕org.springframework.security:spring-security-configReal-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
The spring-security.xsd file inside the spring-security-config jar is world writable which means that if it were extracted it could be written by anyone with access to the file system.
While there are no known exploits, this is an example of “CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource” and could result in an exploit. Users should update to the latest version of Spring Security to mitigate any future exploits found around this issue.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.security:spring-security-config | ≥ 6.1.1&&< 6.1.4 | 6.1.4org.springframework.security:spring-security-config:6.1.4 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.security:spring-security-config | ≥ 6.0.4&&< 6.0.7 | 6.0.7org.springframework.security:spring-security-config:6.0.7 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.security:spring-security-config | ≥ 5.8.4&&< 5.8.7 | 5.8.7org.springframework.security:spring-security-config:5.8.7 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.security:spring-security-config | ≥ 5.7.9&&< 5.7.11 | 5.7.11org.springframework.security:spring-security-config:5.7.11 |
Affected Products
spring securityvmwareDetection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.springframework.security:spring-security-config, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.springframework.security:spring-security-config to 6.1.4 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2023-34042 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.
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.
Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options don't meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base or stability.Source: Red Hat security advisory for CVE-2023-34042 (CC BY 4.0)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2023-34042 in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.