CVE-2024-38809

Description

Applications that parse ETags from If-Match or If-None-Match request headers are vulnerable to DoS attack.

Affected Spring Products and Versions

org.springframework:spring-web in versions

6.1.0 through 6.1.11
6.0.0 through 6.0.22
5.3.0 through 5.3.37

Older, unsupported versions are also affected

Mitigation

Users of affected versions should upgrade to the corresponding fixed version.
6.1.x -> 6.1.12
6.0.x -> 6.0.23
5.3.x -> 5.3.38
No other mitigation steps are necessary.

Users of older, unsupported versions could enforce a size limit on If-Match and If-None-Match headers, e.g. through a Filter.

Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service. Typical impact: denial of service.

CVE-2024-38809 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 (5.3.38, 6.0.23, 6.1.12); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is CVE-2024-38809? CVE-2024-38809 is a medium-severity uncontrolled resource consumption vulnerability in org.springframework:spring-web (maven), affecting versions < 5.3.38. It is fixed in 5.3.38, 6.0.23, 6.1.12. Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service.
2. How severe is CVE-2024-38809? CVE-2024-38809 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:spring-web are affected by CVE-2024-38809? org.springframework:spring-web (maven) versions < 5.3.38 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2024-38809? Yes. CVE-2024-38809 is fixed in 5.3.38, 6.0.23, 6.1.12. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2024-38809 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-38809 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-2024-38809 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-2024-38809?
   • Upgrade org.springframework:spring-web to 5.3.38 or later
   • Upgrade org.springframework:spring-web to 6.0.23 or later
   • Upgrade org.springframework:spring-web to 6.1.12 or later

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