Spring Framework MVC Applications Path Traversal VulnerabilityGHSA-r936-gwx5-v52f
MEDIUMGHSA-r936-gwx5-v52f is a medium-severity (CVSS 5.9) Path Traversal vulnerability in org.springframework:spring-webmvc. A fix is available for org.springframework:spring-webmvc — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- 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 GHSA-r936-gwx5-v52f.
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:spring-webmvc☕org.springframework:spring-webmvc☕org.springframework:spring-webmvc☕org.springframework:spring-webmvcReal-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 Framework MVC applications can be vulnerable to a “Path Traversal Vulnerability” when deployed on a non-compliant Servlet container.
An application can be vulnerable when all the following are true:
- the application is deployed as a WAR or with an embedded Servlet container
- the Servlet container does not reject suspicious sequences https://jakarta.ee/specifications/servlet/6.1/jakarta-servlet-spec-6.1.html#uri-path-canonicalization
- the application serves static resources https://docs.spring.io/spring-framework/reference/web/webmvc/mvc-config/static-resources.html#page-title with Spring resource handling
We have verified that applications deployed on Apache Tomcat or Eclipse Jetty are not vulnerable, as long as default security features are not disabled in the configuration. Because we cannot check exploits against all Servlet containers and configuration variants, we strongly recommend upgrading your application.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.springframework:spring-webmvc | ≥ 6.2.0&&< 6.2.10 | 6.2.10org.springframework:spring-webmvc:6.2.10 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework:spring-webmvc | ≥ 6.1.0 | No fix |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework:spring-webmvc | ≥ 6.0.0 | No fix |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework:spring-webmvc | ≥ 5.3.0 | 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:spring-webmvc, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.springframework:spring-webmvc to 6.2.10 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-r936-gwx5-v52f is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Resolve every user-supplied path to its canonical form and reject anything that escapes the intended directory, and run the component under an account that has no read or write access outside the directory it legitimately serves.
How to detect GHSA-r936-gwx5-v52f
A community-maintained Nuclei template exists for this CVE. You can scan for it directly:
nuclei -id ghsa-r936-gwx5-v52f -u https://target- Template
- Spring Framework - Path Traversal
- Severity
- medium
- Impact
- Attackers can access unauthorized files via path traversal, potentially exposing sensitive data or system files.
- Remediation
- Upgrade to the latest Spring Framework version and ensure deployment on compliant Servlet containers with default security features enabled.
Template by ProjectDiscovery nuclei-templates (DhiyaneshDk), MIT licensed. View the full template. Scan only systems you are authorised to test.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base or stability.Source: Red Hat security advisory for GHSA-r936-gwx5-v52f (CC BY 4.0)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-r936-gwx5-v52f in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.