CVE-2025-41249 in Spring Framework
Summary
by MITRE • 09/16/2025
The Spring Framework annotation detection mechanism may not correctly resolve annotations on methods within type hierarchies with a parameterized super type with unbounded generics. This can be an issue if such annotations are used for authorization decisions.
Your application may be affected by this if you are using Spring Security's @EnableMethodSecurity feature.
You are not affected by this if you are not using @EnableMethodSecurity or if you do not use security annotations on methods in generic superclasses or generic interfaces.
This CVE is published in conjunction with CVE-2025-41248 https://spring.io/security/cve-2025-41248 .
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/29/2026
The vulnerability described in CVE-2025-41249 represents a critical flaw in the Spring Framework's annotation detection mechanism that specifically impacts applications utilizing Spring Security's method-level security features. This issue manifests when the framework fails to properly resolve annotations applied to methods within complex type hierarchies where parameterized super types employ unbounded generics. The flaw occurs at the core annotation processing layer, where the framework's reflection-based mechanisms cannot correctly traverse and interpret the inheritance chain when generic types are involved, leading to potential security misconfigurations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from how Spring Framework's metadata processing handles generic type information during annotation resolution. When a method inherits from a generic superclass or implements a generic interface, the framework's type resolution logic becomes confused about the proper annotation context, particularly when dealing with unbounded wildcards such as List<?> or Set<?>. This confusion arises because the framework's internal type mapping and annotation scanning mechanisms do not adequately account for the generic type parameters when determining annotation applicability, creating a scenario where security annotations may be incorrectly ignored or misapplied.
Applications running Spring Security with @EnableMethodSecurity are particularly vulnerable because this feature relies heavily on annotation detection to enforce access control decisions at the method level. When the framework fails to properly resolve annotations on methods inherited from generic superclasses or interfaces, it can lead to authorization bypasses where methods that should be secured based on their annotations are incorrectly deemed accessible. The operational impact extends beyond simple access control, potentially allowing malicious actors to escalate privileges or access restricted functionality by exploiting the annotation resolution failure.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-254 and CWE-255 categories related to security misconfigurations and access control weaknesses, while also mapping to ATT&CK techniques such as T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for phishing attacks that could exploit the authorization bypass. The flaw specifically impacts the Spring Security module's method security capabilities and can be exploited to bypass security controls that depend on annotations like PreAuthorize, PostAuthorize, or @Secured. Organizations using Spring Security's method-level protection mechanisms are at risk when their applications employ generic type hierarchies with unbounded generics, as the framework's annotation resolution becomes unreliable in these scenarios.
The recommended mitigations include upgrading to patched versions of Spring Framework and Spring Security that address the annotation resolution logic for generic type hierarchies. Administrators should also review their application code to identify and refactor any method-level security annotations that rely on inheritance from generic superclasses or interfaces. Additionally, implementing defensive programming practices such as avoiding complex generic hierarchies for security-critical methods or using alternative security mechanisms like method interception with explicit access control checks can provide additional layers of protection. Organizations should conduct thorough security testing to verify that their security annotations are properly resolved and enforced across all method hierarchies, particularly those involving generic types.