What is CVE-2026-22731?

CVE-2026-22731 is a high-severity missing authentication for critical function vulnerability in org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator (maven), affecting versions >= 3.4.0, <= 3.4.13. It is fixed in 3.5.12, 4.0.4. A critical operation is accessible without requiring any authentication.

How severe is CVE-2026-22731?

CVE-2026-22731 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.

Which versions of org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator are affected by CVE-2026-22731?

org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator (maven) versions >= 3.4.0, <= 3.4.13 is affected.

Is there a fix for CVE-2026-22731?

Yes. CVE-2026-22731 is fixed in 3.5.12, 4.0.4. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2026-22731 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2026-22731 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.

What actually determines whether CVE-2026-22731 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.

CVE-2026-22731 in org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator | Intelligent Application Security

Q: How severe is CVE-2026-22731?

CVE-2026-22731 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.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2026-22731?

Yes. CVE-2026-22731 is fixed in 3.5.12, 4.0.4. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2026-22731 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2026-22731 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.

Q: What actually determines whether CVE-2026-22731 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.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2026-22731?

Upgrade: org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator to 3.5.12 or later, org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator to 4.0.4 or later.

Summary

Spring Boot applications with Actuator can be vulnerable to an "Authentication Bypass" vulnerability when an application endpoint that requires authentication is declared under a specific path, already configured for a Health Group additional path.
This issue affects Spring Boot: from 4.0 before 4.0.3, from 3.5 before 3.5.11, from 3.4 before 3.4.15.
This CVE is similar but not equivalent to CVE-2026-22733, as the conditions for exploit and vulnerable versions are different.

Impact

A critical operation is accessible without requiring any authentication. Typical impact: any user can invoke the privileged function.

CVE-2026-22731 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 (3.5.12, 4.0.4); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator (>= 3.4.0, <= 3.4.13) org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator (>= 3.5.0, < 3.5.12) org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator (>= 4.0.0-M1, < 4.0.4)

Security releases

org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator → 3.5.12 (maven) org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator → 4.0.4 (maven)

Kodem intelligence

Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.

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. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.

See it in your environment

Remediation advice

Upgrade the following packages to resolve this vulnerability:

org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator to 3.5.12 or later; org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator to 4.0.4 or later

Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-22731? CVE-2026-22731 is a high-severity missing authentication for critical function vulnerability in org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator (maven), affecting versions >= 3.4.0, <= 3.4.13. It is fixed in 3.5.12, 4.0.4. A critical operation is accessible without requiring any authentication.
How severe is CVE-2026-22731? CVE-2026-22731 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.
Which versions of org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator are affected by CVE-2026-22731? org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator (maven) versions >= 3.4.0, <= 3.4.13 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-22731? Yes. CVE-2026-22731 is fixed in 3.5.12, 4.0.4. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2026-22731 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-22731 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
What actually determines whether CVE-2026-22731 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.
How do I fix CVE-2026-22731?
- Upgrade org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator to 3.5.12 or later
- Upgrade org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator to 4.0.4 or later

Other vulnerabilities in org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator

CVE-2026-22731