GHSA-8wx2-9q48-vm9r is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in org.springframework:spring-webmvc. 4 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-8wx2-9q48-vm9r is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
RFD attack via Content-Disposition header sourced from request input by Spring MVC or Spring WebFlux Application
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
GHSA-8wx2-9q48-vm9r plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE sits: patch-first territory.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 0 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the 50–90% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
org.springframework:spring-webmvc☕org.springframework:spring-webmvc☕org.springframework:spring-webmvc☕org.springframework:spring-webflux☕org.springframework:spring-webflux☕org.springframework:spring-webfluxReal-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
In Spring Framework, versions 5.2.x prior to 5.2.3, versions 5.1.x prior to 5.1.13, and versions 5.0.x prior to 5.0.16, an application is vulnerable to a reflected file download (RFD) attack when it sets a "Content-Disposition" header in the response where the filename attribute is derived from user supplied input.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.springframework:spring-webmvc | ≥ 5.2.0.RELEASE&&< 5.2.3.RELEASE | 5.2.3.RELEASE |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework:spring-webmvc | ≥ 5.1.0.RELEASE&&< 5.1.13.RELEASE | 5.1.13.RELEASE |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework:spring-webmvc | ≥ 5.0.0.RELEASE&&< 5.0.16.RELEASE | 5.0.16.RELEASE |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework:spring-webflux | ≥ 5.2.0.RELEASE&&< 5.2.3.RELEASE | 5.2.3.RELEASE |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework:spring-webflux | ≥ 5.1.0.RELEASE&&< 5.1.13.RELEASE | 5.1.13.RELEASE |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework:spring-webflux | ≥ 5.0.0.RELEASE&&< 5.0.16.RELEASE | 5.0.16.RELEASE |
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:spring-webmvc. 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:spring-webmvc to 5.2.3.RELEASE or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-8wx2-9q48-vm9r 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 GHSA-8wx2-9q48-vm9r 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 GHSA-8wx2-9q48-vm9r. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-8wx2-9q48-vm9r in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-8wx2-9q48-vm9r across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.