Summary
Pivotal Spring Framework DoS Attack with XML Input
Pivotal Spring Framework before 3.2.14 and 4.x before 4.1.7 do not properly process inline DTD declarations when DTD is not entirely disabled, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption and out-of-memory errors) via a crafted XML file.
Impact
CVE-2015-3192 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, no privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (3.2.14, 4.1.7, 5.0.0.RC3); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
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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org.springframework:spring-web to 3.2.14 or later; org.springframework:spring-web to 4.1.7 or later; org.springframework:spring-web to 5.0.0.RC3 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2015-3192? CVE-2015-3192 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in org.springframework:spring-web (maven), affecting versions < 3.2.14. It is fixed in 3.2.14, 4.1.7, 5.0.0.RC3.
- How severe is CVE-2015-3192? CVE-2015-3192 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of org.springframework:spring-web are affected by CVE-2015-3192? org.springframework:spring-web (maven) versions < 3.2.14 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2015-3192? Yes. CVE-2015-3192 is fixed in 3.2.14, 4.1.7, 5.0.0.RC3. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2015-3192 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2015-3192 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-2015-3192 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-2015-3192?
- Upgrade
org.springframework:spring-webto 3.2.14 or later - Upgrade
org.springframework:spring-webto 4.1.7 or later - Upgrade
org.springframework:spring-webto 5.0.0.RC3 or later
- Upgrade