Summary
Spring Framework Inefficient Regular Expression Complexity
Algorithmic complexity vulnerability in the java.util.regex.Pattern.compile method in Sun Java Development Kit (JDK) before 1.6, when used with spring.jar in SpringSource Spring Framework 1.1.0 through 2.5.6 and 3.0.0.M1 through 3.0.0.M2 and dm Server 1.0.0 through 1.0.2, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via serializable data with a long regex string containing multiple optional groups, a related issue to CVE-2004-2540.
Impact
A regular expression with worst-case exponential or polynomial matching time is applied to untrusted input, causing excessive CPU use. Typical impact: denial of service when input is crafted to trigger backtracking.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2009-1190? CVE-2009-1190 is a medium-severity inefficient regular expression (ReDoS) vulnerability in org.springframework:spring-core (maven), affecting versions >= 1.1.0, <= 2.5.6. It is fixed in 3.0.0.RELEASE. A regular expression with worst-case exponential or polynomial matching time is applied to untrusted input, causing excessive CPU use.
- Which versions of org.springframework:spring-core are affected by CVE-2009-1190? org.springframework:spring-core (maven) versions >= 1.1.0, <= 2.5.6 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2009-1190? Yes. CVE-2009-1190 is fixed in 3.0.0.RELEASE. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2009-1190 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2009-1190 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2009-1190 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2009-1190? Upgrade
org.springframework:spring-coreto 3.0.0.RELEASE or later.