GHSA-q8xj-8xg3-w432 — spray-json_2.12
HIGHGHSA-q8xj-8xg3-w432 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) Uncontrolled Resource Consumption vulnerability in io.spray:spray-json_2.12. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for io.spray:spray-json_2.12 — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in spray-json
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-q8xj-8xg3-w432 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 378,567 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
io.spray:spray-json_2.12☕io.spray:spray-json_2.11☕io.spray:spray-json_2.10Real-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
Lightbend Spray spray-json through 1.3.4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (resource consumption) because of Algorithmic Complexity during the parsing of many JSON object fields (with keys that have the same hash code).
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | io.spray:spray-json_2.12 | all versions | 1.3.5io.spray:spray-json_2.12:1.3.5 |
| ☕Maven | io.spray:spray-json_2.11 | all versions | 1.3.5io.spray:spray-json_2.11:1.3.5 |
| ☕Maven | io.spray:spray-json_2.10 | all versions | 1.3.5io.spray:spray-json_2.10:1.3.5 |
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 io.spray:spray-json_2.12, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update io.spray:spray-json_2.12 to 1.3.5 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-q8xj-8xg3-w432 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-q8xj-8xg3-w432 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-q8xj-8xg3-w432. 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-q8xj-8xg3-w432 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-q8xj-8xg3-w432 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.