CVE-2018-1199

Spring Security (Spring Security 4.1.x before 4.1.5, 4.2.x before 4.2.4, and 5.0.x before 5.0.1; and Spring Framework 4.3.x before 4.3.14 and 5.0.x before 5.0.3) does not consider URL path parameters when processing security constraints. By adding a URL path parameter with special encodings, an attacker may be able to bypass a security constraint. The root cause of this issue is a lack of clarity regarding the handling of path parameters in the Servlet Specification. Some Servlet containers include path parameters in the value returned for getPathInfo() and some do not. Spring Security uses the value returned by getPathInfo() as part of the process of mapping requests to security constraints. In this particular attack, different character encodings used in path parameters allows secured Spring MVC static resource URLs to be bypassed.

The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths. Typical impact: varies by context: data corruption, logic bypass, or denial of service.

CVE-2018-1199 has a CVSS score of 5.3 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. 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 (4.3.14, 5.0.3, 4.1.5, 4.2.4, 5.0.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is CVE-2018-1199? CVE-2018-1199 is a medium-severity improper input validation vulnerability in org.springframework:spring-core (maven), affecting versions >= 4.3.0, < 4.3.14. It is fixed in 4.3.14, 5.0.3, 4.1.5, 4.2.4, 5.0.1. The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths.
2. How severe is CVE-2018-1199? CVE-2018-1199 has a CVSS score of 5.3 (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.
3. Which packages are affected by CVE-2018-1199?
   • org.springframework:spring-core (maven) (versions >= 4.3.0, < 4.3.14)
   • org.springframework.security:spring-security-core (maven) (versions >= 4.1.0, < 4.1.5)
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2018-1199? Yes. CVE-2018-1199 is fixed in 4.3.14, 5.0.3, 4.1.5, 4.2.4, 5.0.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2018-1199 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2018-1199 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2018-1199 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2018-1199?
   • Upgrade org.springframework:spring-core to 4.3.14 or later
   • Upgrade org.springframework:spring-core to 5.0.3 or later
   • Upgrade org.springframework.security:spring-security-core to 4.1.5 or later
   • Upgrade org.springframework.security:spring-security-core to 4.2.4 or later
   • Upgrade org.springframework.security:spring-security-core to 5.0.1 or later