A local attacker on the same host as the application may be able to take control of the…
CVE-2026-40973 is a high-severity vulnerability in Spring Boot from Spring, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.0 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 4.0.6, 3.5.14, 3.4.16 as the first without the flaw, so updating Spring Boot to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.14% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Spring Boot to 4.0.6 or 3.5.14 or 3.4.16 or 3.3.19, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Read the advisory on spring.io for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | Spring Boot | 4.0.0 up to, but not including, 4.0.6; 3.5.0 up to, but not including, 3.5.14; 3.4.0 up to, but not including, 3.4.16; 3.3.0 up to, but not including, 3.3.19; 2.7.0 up to, but not including, 2.7.33 | 4.0.6, 3.5.14, 3.4.16, 3.3.19, 2.7.33 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- HighSuccess depends on conditions outside the attacker's control.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (vmware.com).
Official description
A local attacker on the same host as the application may be able to take control of the directory used by `ApplicationTemp`. When `server.servlet.session.persistent` is set to `true` and the attack persists across application restarts, this may allow the attacker to read session information and hijack authenticated users or deploy a gadget chain and execute code as the application's user. Affected: Spring Boot 4.0.0–4.0.5 (fix 4.0.6), 3.5.0–3.5.13 (fix 3.5.14), 3.4.0–3.4.15 (fix 3.4.16), 3.3.0–3.3.18 (fix 3.3.19), 2.7.0–2.7.32 (fix 2.7.33); predictable temp directory / `ApplicationTemp` ownership verification. Versions that are no longer supported are also affected per vendor advisory.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
Other vulnerabilities in Spring Boot
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 8.1 High severity
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