CVE-2024-38821 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.1) CWE-770 vulnerability in org.springframework.security:spring-security-web. 1 public exploit or proof-of-concept reference is indexed, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.springframework.security:spring-security-web — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Spring Security vulnerable to Authorization Bypass of Static Resources in WebFlux Applications
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks.
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
- 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-2024-38821.
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-web☕org.springframework.security:spring-security-web☕org.springframework.security:spring-security-web☕org.springframework.security:spring-security-web☕org.springframework.security:spring-security-web☕org.springframework.security:spring-security-webReal-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
Spring WebFlux applications that have Spring Security authorization rules on static resources can be bypassed under certain circumstances.
For this to impact an application, all of the following must be true:
- It must be a WebFlux application
- It must be using Spring's static resources support
- It must have a non-permitAll authorization rule applied to the static resources support
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.security:spring-security-web | ≥ 5.0.0&&< 5.7.13 | 5.7.13org.springframework.security:spring-security-web:5.7.13 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.security:spring-security-web | ≥ 5.8.0&&< 5.8.15 | 5.8.15org.springframework.security:spring-security-web:5.8.15 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.security:spring-security-web | ≥ 6.2.0&&< 6.2.7 | 6.2.7org.springframework.security:spring-security-web:6.2.7 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.security:spring-security-web | ≥ 6.0.0&&< 6.0.13 | 6.0.13org.springframework.security:spring-security-web:6.0.13 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.security:spring-security-web | ≥ 6.1.0&&< 6.1.11 | 6.1.11org.springframework.security:spring-security-web:6.1.11 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.security:spring-security-web | ≥ 6.3.0&&< 6.3.4 | 6.3.4org.springframework.security:spring-security-web:6.3.4 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & 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-web, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.springframework.security:spring-security-web to 5.7.13 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2024-38821 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Cap what an attacker can consume: apply request size, rate and timeout limits in front of the affected component, and run it with memory and CPU limits so exhaustion degrades one worker rather than the whole service.
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.
This issue is classified as a moderate severity vulnerability because it impacts only specific configurations in Spring WebFlux applications and does not compromise dynamic or core application functionality. To exploit this vulnerability, the application must not only be using Spring WebFlux but must also serve static…
Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not 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-2024-38821 (CC BY 4.0)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2024-38821 in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.