CVE-2025-41232 in Spring Security
Summary
by MITRE • 05/21/2025
Spring Security Aspects may not correctly locate method security annotations on private methods. This can cause an authorization bypass.
Your application may be affected by this if the following are true:
* You are using @EnableMethodSecurity(mode=ASPECTJ) and spring-security-aspects, and * You have Spring Security method annotations on a private method In that case, the target method may be able to be invoked without proper authorization.
You are not affected if:
* You are not using @EnableMethodSecurity(mode=ASPECTJ) or spring-security-aspects, or * You have no Spring Security-annotated private methods
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/21/2025
This vulnerability resides in the Spring Security framework's aspect-oriented programming implementation, specifically affecting the method security annotation processing mechanism. The issue manifests when applications utilize the AspectJ mode for method security enforcement alongside the spring-security-aspects module. The core technical flaw stems from the inability of the security aspect to properly identify and intercept private methods that have been annotated with Spring Security annotations such as PreAuthorize, PostAuthorize, or @Secured. This occurs because AspectJ's weaving process does not adequately handle private method interception in certain configurations, creating a gap in the security enforcement pipeline.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it can lead to complete authorization bypasses within affected applications. When private methods contain security annotations but are not properly intercepted by the security aspect, malicious actors can invoke these methods without undergoing the intended authorization checks. This creates a scenario where sensitive operations that should be restricted to authorized users can be executed by anyone, potentially leading to data exposure, privilege escalation, or other security breaches. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because private methods often contain critical business logic or administrative functions that should never be accessible without proper authentication and authorization.
The flaw aligns with CWE-284 Access Control Bypass and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts, as it allows unauthorized access to protected functionality through legitimate account usage. The vulnerability specifically affects applications using the ASPECTJ mode of method security, which is designed to provide compile-time or load-time weaving for security enforcement. The security aspect's failure to properly process private methods creates a blind spot in the authorization mechanism, allowing method invocations to bypass security checks entirely. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the security framework's ability to enforce access controls consistently across all method types within the application's security model.
Organizations should immediately assess their Spring Security configurations to identify whether they are using @EnableMethodSecurity(mode=ASPECTJ) in combination with spring-security-aspects. The mitigation strategy involves either switching to PROXY mode which properly handles private method security annotations, or reworking the application architecture to avoid placing security annotations on private methods. Alternative approaches include upgrading to patched versions of Spring Security, implementing additional application-level checks, or restructuring the code to use protected or public methods for security-sensitive operations. Security teams should also consider implementing runtime monitoring to detect unauthorized access patterns that might indicate exploitation of this vulnerability.