CVE-2025-22232
📋 TL;DR
Spring Cloud Config Server may ignore client-provided Vault tokens via X-CONFIG-TOKEN header, causing it to persistently use the first token retrieved. This affects applications using Spring Vault with specific SessionManager implementations, potentially leading to unauthorized access to Vault secrets.
💻 Affected Systems
- Spring Cloud Config Server
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could gain persistent access to Vault secrets using a compromised initial token, potentially accessing sensitive configuration data across multiple applications.
Likely Case
Configuration mismatches where different clients expect different Vault access levels but all get the same token's permissions, leading to privilege escalation or data exposure.
If Mitigated
With proper network segmentation and Vault token policies, impact is limited to configuration data accessible by the initial token's permissions.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires understanding of Spring Cloud Config Server configuration and Vault token usage patterns.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 4.2.2, 4.1.6, 4.0.10, 3.1.10, or 4.1.6 for older versions
Vendor Advisory: https://spring.io/security/cve-2025-22232
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Identify your Spring Cloud Config Server version. 2. Upgrade to corresponding fixed version from vendor advisory. 3. Restart the application server. 4. Verify token handling behavior.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Custom SessionManager Implementation
allImplement a custom SessionManager that properly handles X-CONFIG-TOKEN headers instead of persisting the first token.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network-level controls to restrict Vault access from Config Server
- Use Vault token policies with minimal required permissions for initial token
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Spring Cloud Config Server version and verify if using Spring Vault with X-CONFIG-TOKEN header and vulnerable SessionManager implementations.Check Version:
Check application properties or build configuration for spring-cloud-config-server version.Verify Fix Applied:
After upgrade, test that different X-CONFIG-TOKEN header values result in corresponding Vault token usage for each request.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Multiple clients using same Vault token despite different X-CONFIG-TOKEN headers
- Unexpected Vault access patterns from Config Server
Network Indicators:
- Config Server making Vault requests with consistent token across different client sessions
SIEM Query:
Search for Config Server logs showing token persistence across client sessions with different X-CONFIG-TOKEN values.