CVE-2026-40997 is a medium-severity (CVSS 5.3) CWE-209 vulnerability in org.springframework.ws:spring-ws-security. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2026-40997 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Spring Web Services: SOAP security faults leak Spring Security account state
Real-World Exposure
org.springframework.ws:spring-ws-security☕org.springframework.ws:spring-ws-security☕org.springframework.ws:spring-ws-security☕org.springframework.ws:spring-ws-securityReal-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
Several Spring WS integration paths with Spring Security could surface detailed account state (for example locked or disabled user semantics) to remote SOAP clients through exception messages or callback outcomes, instead of failing with generic authentication errors. That behavior assists remote attackers in distinguishing valid accounts from invalid ones and inferring lifecycle state.
Affected versions: Spring Web Services 5.0.0 through 5.0.1; 4.1.0 through 4.1.3; 4.0.0 through 4.0.18; 3.1.0 through 3.1.8.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.ws:spring-ws-security | ≥ 5.0.0&&< 5.0.2 | 5.0.2 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.ws:spring-ws-security | ≥ 4.1.0&&< 4.1.4 | 4.1.4 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.ws:spring-ws-security | ≥ 4.0.0 | No fix |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.ws:spring-ws-security | ≥ 3.1.0 | No fix |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.springframework.ws:spring-ws-security. 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.ws:spring-ws-security to 5.0.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-40997 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-2026-40997 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-2026-40997. 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-2026-40997 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2026-40997 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.