CVE-2026-22731 in Spring Boot
Summary
by MITRE • 03/20/2026
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.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/15/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical authentication bypass flaw in Spring Boot applications utilizing the Actuator module, specifically impacting applications that configure health group endpoints with additional path configurations. The flaw occurs when an authenticated endpoint is declared under a particular path that has already been configured for a Health Group additional path, creating a security gap that allows unauthorized access to protected resources. The vulnerability stems from improper path handling and authentication validation logic within the Spring Boot Actuator's security implementation, where the system fails to properly enforce authentication requirements for certain endpoint combinations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a specific interaction between path matching and authentication enforcement mechanisms within Spring Boot's security framework. When applications define endpoints that require authentication under paths that are already associated with Health Group configurations, the authentication bypass occurs due to overlapping path resolution logic. This creates a scenario where the system incorrectly determines that certain endpoints do not require authentication, even though they are explicitly configured to do so. The flaw is particularly insidious because it leverages legitimate application configuration patterns to create unauthorized access paths, making it difficult to detect through standard security scanning tools.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations running Spring Boot applications, as it can potentially allow attackers to access sensitive administrative endpoints without proper credentials. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to application management interfaces, view sensitive system information, modify application behavior, or potentially escalate privileges within the affected systems. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of Spring Boot, specifically versions 4.0 before 4.0.3, 3.5 before 3.5.11, and 3.4 before 3.4.15, indicating that organizations running these versions are at risk. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, and could be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for social engineering, though the latter would be less applicable given the technical nature of the flaw.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to the patched versions of Spring Boot where the vulnerability has been addressed. The fix implemented in the patched versions corrects the path resolution logic to ensure proper authentication enforcement regardless of endpoint configuration patterns. Additionally, administrators should review their Actuator endpoint configurations to identify any instances where authenticated endpoints might be declared under paths that could conflict with Health Group configurations. Security teams should implement monitoring for unauthorized access attempts to Actuator endpoints and consider implementing additional access controls such as IP whitelisting or more restrictive authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper path handling in security frameworks and highlights how seemingly legitimate configuration patterns can create unexpected security gaps that require careful attention to authentication enforcement logic.
This vulnerability differs from CVE-2026-22733 in its specific conditions for exploitation and the affected version ranges, indicating that while both vulnerabilities relate to Spring Boot Actuator authentication, they manifest through different technical mechanisms and require distinct mitigation approaches. The authentication bypass vulnerability affects the core security model of Spring Boot applications, potentially allowing attackers to bypass authentication requirements for sensitive management endpoints that should only be accessible to authorized administrators. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their Spring Boot applications to identify any configurations that might be vulnerable to this specific path-based authentication bypass attack vector.