CVE-2026-41720 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.4) Improper Authentication vulnerability in org.springframework.ldap:spring-ldap-core. A fix is available for org.springframework.ldap:spring-ldap-core — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Spring LDAP has Authentication Bypass with Empty Password
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- 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-2026-41720.
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.ldap:spring-ldap-core☕org.springframework.ldap:spring-ldap-core☕org.springframework.ldap:spring-ldap-core☕org.springframework.ldap:spring-ldap-coreReal-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 LDAP's DirContextAuthenticationStrategy implementations do not reject a bind request where a non-empty username is paired with an empty or null password.
Affected versions: Spring LDAP 2.4.0 through 2.4.4; 3.2.0 through 3.2.17; 3.3.0 through 3.3.7; 4.0.0 through 4.0.3.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.ldap:spring-ldap-core | ≥ 4.0.0&&< 4.0.4 | 4.0.4org.springframework.ldap:spring-ldap-core:4.0.4 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.ldap:spring-ldap-core | ≥ 3.3.0&&< 3.3.8 | 3.3.8org.springframework.ldap:spring-ldap-core:3.3.8 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.ldap:spring-ldap-core | ≥ 3.2.0 | No fix |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.ldap:spring-ldap-core | all versions | 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.ldap:spring-ldap-core, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.springframework.ldap:spring-ldap-core to 4.0.4 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-41720 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Put an independent control in front of the weakness: restrict the affected endpoint or interface to trusted networks, require an additional authentication factor or proxy-level check, and invalidate existing sessions and credentials in case the flaw has already been used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-41720 in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.