GHSA-g86w-v5vg-9gxf — spring-cloud-config-server
MEDIUMGHSA-g86w-v5vg-9gxf is a medium-severity (CVSS 6.5) CWE-23 vulnerability in org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-config-server. EPSS puts its 30-day exploitation probability at 68.8% (99th percentile). A fix is available for org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-config-server — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Directory traversal attack in Spring Cloud Config
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-g86w-v5vg-9gxf plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,166 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.cloud:spring-cloud-config-server☕org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-config-serverReal-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 Cloud Config, versions 2.2.x prior to 2.2.2, versions 2.1.x prior to 2.1.7, and older unsupported versions allow applications to serve arbitrary configuration files through the spring-cloud-config-server module. A malicious user, or attacker, can send a request using a specially crafted URL that can lead a directory traversal attack.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-config-server | ≥ 2.1.0&&< 2.1.7 | 2.1.7org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-config-server:2.1.7 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-config-server | ≥ 2.2.0&&< 2.2.2 | 2.2.2org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-config-server:2.2.2 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-config-server, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-config-server to 2.1.7 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-g86w-v5vg-9gxf 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 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like GHSA-g86w-v5vg-9gxf can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-g86w-v5vg-9gxf. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
How to detect GHSA-g86w-v5vg-9gxf
A community-maintained Nuclei template exists for this CVE. You can scan for it directly:
nuclei -id ghsa-g86w-v5vg-9gxf -u https://target- Template
- Spring Cloud Config - Local File Inclusion
- Severity
- medium
- Impact
- An attacker can read sensitive files on the server, potentially leading to unauthorized access, data leakage, or further exploitation.
- Remediation
- Upgrade to a patched version of Spring Cloud Config or apply the recommended security patches to mitigate the vulnerability.
Template by ProjectDiscovery nuclei-templates (harshbothra_), MIT licensed. View the full template. Scan only systems you are authorised to test.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-g86w-v5vg-9gxf in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-g86w-v5vg-9gxf across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.