CVE-2022-31690

spring-security-oauth2-client vulnerable to Privilege Escalation

Spring Security, versions 5.7 prior to 5.7.5, and 5.6 prior to 5.6.9, and older unsupported versions could be susceptible to a privilege escalation under certain conditions. A malicious user or attacker can modify a request initiated by the Client (via the browser) to the Authorization Server which can lead to a privilege escalation on the subsequent approval. This scenario can happen if the Authorization Server responds with an OAuth2 Access Token Response containing an empty scope list (per RFC 6749, Section 5.1) on the subsequent request to the token endpoint to obtain the access token.

The application assigns, modifies, tracks, or checks privileges incorrectly, allowing a user to gain elevated access. Typical impact: privilege escalation beyond the intended level.

CVE-2022-31690 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). 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 (5.7.5, 5.6.9); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

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1. What is CVE-2022-31690? CVE-2022-31690 is a high-severity improper privilege management vulnerability in org.springframework.security:spring-security-oauth2-client (maven), affecting versions >= 5.7.0, < 5.7.5. It is fixed in 5.7.5, 5.6.9. The application assigns, modifies, tracks, or checks privileges incorrectly, allowing a user to gain elevated access.
2. How severe is CVE-2022-31690? CVE-2022-31690 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). 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-oauth2-client are affected by CVE-2022-31690? org.springframework.security:spring-security-oauth2-client (maven) versions >= 5.7.0, < 5.7.5 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2022-31690? Yes. CVE-2022-31690 is fixed in 5.7.5, 5.6.9. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2022-31690 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-31690 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-2022-31690 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-2022-31690?
   • Upgrade org.springframework.security:spring-security-oauth2-client to 5.7.5 or later
   • Upgrade org.springframework.security:spring-security-oauth2-client to 5.6.9 or later

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