CVE-2026-41729
HIGHCVE-2026-41729 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.1) Expression Language Injection vulnerability in org.springframework.data:spring-data-rest-core. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2026-41729 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Spring Data REST SpEL Injection via Map Key in JSON Patch
Real-World Exposure
org.springframework.data:spring-data-rest-core☕org.springframework.data:spring-data-rest-core☕org.springframework.data:spring-data-rest-core☕org.springframework.data:spring-data-rest-core☕org.springframework.data:spring-data-rest-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 Data REST is vulnerable to SpEL expression injection through map-typed properties when processing JSON Patch (application/json-patch+json) requests. When a persistent entity exposes a Map-typed property, the JSON Pointer path segment used as the map key is embedded directly into a SpEL expression without sanitization or validation.
Affected versions: Spring Data REST 3.7.0 through 3.7.19; 4.3.0 through 4.3.16; 4.4.0 through 4.4.14; 4.5.0 through 4.5.11; 5.0.0 through 5.0.5.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.data:spring-data-rest-core | ≥ 5.0.0&&< 5.0.6 | 5.0.6 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.data:spring-data-rest-core | ≥ 4.5.0&&< 4.5.12 | 4.5.12 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.data:spring-data-rest-core | ≥ 4.4.0 | No fix |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.data:spring-data-rest-core | ≥ 4.3.0 | No fix |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.data:spring-data-rest-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.data:spring-data-rest-core. 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.data:spring-data-rest-core to 5.0.6 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-41729 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-2026-41729 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-2026-41729. 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-2026-41729 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2026-41729 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.