CVE-2022-22976

Spring Security versions 5.5.x prior to 5.5.7, 5.6.x prior to 5.6.4, and earlier unsupported versions contain an integer overflow vulnerability. When using the BCrypt class with the maximum work factor (31), the encoder does not perform any salt rounds, due to an integer overflow error. The default settings are not affected by this CVE.

An arithmetic operation produces a value that exceeds the integer type's maximum, causing it to wrap to an unexpected small value. Typical impact: incorrect size calculations leading to heap overflows or logic errors.

CVE-2022-22976 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 (5.6.4, 5.5.7); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is CVE-2022-22976? CVE-2022-22976 is a medium-severity integer overflow or wraparound vulnerability in org.springframework.security:spring-security-core (maven), affecting versions >= 5.6.0, < 5.6.4. It is fixed in 5.6.4, 5.5.7. An arithmetic operation produces a value that exceeds the integer type's maximum, causing it to wrap to an unexpected small value.
2. How severe is CVE-2022-22976? CVE-2022-22976 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 versions of org.springframework.security:spring-security-core are affected by CVE-2022-22976? org.springframework.security:spring-security-core (maven) versions >= 5.6.0, < 5.6.4 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2022-22976? Yes. CVE-2022-22976 is fixed in 5.6.4, 5.5.7. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2022-22976 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-22976 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-2022-22976 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-2022-22976?
   • Upgrade org.springframework.security:spring-security-core to 5.6.4 or later
   • Upgrade org.springframework.security:spring-security-core to 5.5.7 or later