CVE-2024-22257

In Spring Security, versions 5.7.x prior to 5.7.12, 5.8.x prior to 5.8.11, versions 6.0.x prior to 6.0.9, versions 6.1.x prior to 6.1.8, versions 6.2.x prior to 6.2.3, an application is possible vulnerable to broken access control when it directly uses the AuthenticatedVoter#vote passing a null Authentication parameter.

Specifically, an application is vulnerable if:

The application uses AuthenticatedVoter directly and a null authentication parameter is passed to it resulting in an erroneous true return value.

An application is not vulnerable if any of the following is true:

• The application does not use AuthenticatedVoter#vote directly.
• The application does not pass null to AuthenticatedVoter#vote.

Note that AuthenticatedVoter is deprecated since 5.8, use implementations of AuthorizationManager as a replacement.

The application does not adequately verify the identity of a user, device, or process before granting access. Typical impact: unauthorized access to functions or data reserved for authenticated parties.

CVE-2024-22257 has a CVSS score of 8.2 (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 (5.7.12, 5.8.11, 6.1.8, 6.2.3); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is CVE-2024-22257? CVE-2024-22257 is a high-severity improper authentication vulnerability in org.springframework.security:spring-security-core (maven), affecting versions < 5.7.12. It is fixed in 5.7.12, 5.8.11, 6.1.8, 6.2.3. The application does not adequately verify the identity of a user, device, or process before granting access.
2. How severe is CVE-2024-22257? CVE-2024-22257 has a CVSS score of 8.2 (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-core are affected by CVE-2024-22257? org.springframework.security:spring-security-core (maven) versions < 5.7.12 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2024-22257? Yes. CVE-2024-22257 is fixed in 5.7.12, 5.8.11, 6.1.8, 6.2.3. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2024-22257 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-22257 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-2024-22257 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-2024-22257?
   • Upgrade org.springframework.security:spring-security-core to 5.7.12 or later
   • Upgrade org.springframework.security:spring-security-core to 5.8.11 or later
   • Upgrade org.springframework.security:spring-security-core to 6.1.8 or later
   • Upgrade org.springframework.security:spring-security-core to 6.2.3 or later