CVE-2026-40997 is a medium-severity (CVSS 5.3) CWE-209 vulnerability in org.springframework.ws:spring-ws-security. A fix is available for org.springframework.ws:spring-ws-security — see the affected versions and patch details below.
SOAP security faults leak Spring Security account state
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2026-40997 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 382,795 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.
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 | 5.0.2org.springframework.ws:spring-ws-security:5.0.2 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.ws:spring-ws-security | ≥ 4.1.0&&< 4.1.4 | 4.1.4org.springframework.ws:spring-ws-security: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 |
Affected Products
spring web servicesbroadcomDetection & 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, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-40997 in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.