CVE-2025-41242
📋 TL;DR
Spring Framework MVC applications can be vulnerable to path traversal attacks when deployed on non-compliant Servlet containers, potentially allowing attackers to access files outside the intended directory. This affects applications deployed as WAR files or with embedded Servlet containers that don't properly reject suspicious URI sequences while serving static resources with Spring's resource handling.
💻 Affected Systems
- Spring Framework MVC applications
⚠️ 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 read sensitive files like configuration files, source code, or credentials from the server filesystem, potentially leading to further system compromise.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to static files or configuration files that shouldn't be publicly accessible, potentially exposing application secrets or sensitive data.
If Mitigated
No impact when deployed on compliant containers like Apache Tomcat or Eclipse Jetty with default security features enabled.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires specific deployment conditions and knowledge of the target's Servlet container configuration. No public exploits known at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Upgrade to latest Spring Framework version
Vendor Advisory: http://spring.io/security/cve-2025-41242
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Check current Spring Framework version. 2. Upgrade to the latest patched version. 3. Verify deployment uses compliant Servlet container (Apache Tomcat or Eclipse Jetty recommended). 4. Ensure default security features are not disabled in Servlet container configuration.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Use compliant Servlet containers
allDeploy application on Apache Tomcat or Eclipse Jetty with default security settings enabled
Disable Spring static resource handling
allRemove or disable Spring's static resource handling if not required
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Deploy only on Apache Tomcat or Eclipse Jetty with default security configurations
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block path traversal patterns
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if application: 1) Uses Spring Framework MVC, 2) Serves static resources via Spring resource handling, 3) Is deployed on non-compliant Servlet container, 4) Servlet container doesn't reject suspicious URI sequences per Jakarta Servlet specCheck Version:
Check Spring Framework version in pom.xml (Maven) or build.gradle (Gradle)Verify Fix Applied:
Verify application is deployed on Apache Tomcat or Eclipse Jetty with default security features, or has upgraded to latest Spring Framework version📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Multiple requests with '../' sequences in URLs
- Requests for unusual file extensions or paths outside expected static resources
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests containing path traversal sequences like '../', '..\', or encoded equivalents
SIEM Query:
web_access_logs WHERE url CONTAINS '../' OR url CONTAINS '%2e%2e%2f' OR url CONTAINS '..%5c'