CVE-2026-59328 in Tools for Eclipse
Summary
by MITRE • 07/30/2026
Spring Tools for Eclipse renders Spring Boot starter wizard dependency tooltips in a native embedded browser (SWT Browser) with JavaScript enabled. Using untrusted and compromised Initializr endpoints for the Spring Boot starter wizard can result in arbitrary script execution inside the embedded browser when a developer hovers a dependency checkbox in the New Spring Starter Project wizard. Impact is limited to in-IDE UI spoofing and outbound network beaconing rather than full code execution. Affected Spring Products and Versions: Spring Tools for Eclipse: 5.2.0 and earlier
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2026
The vulnerability resides within the Spring Tools for Eclipse IDE, specifically in how it handles dependency tooltips within the Spring Boot starter wizard interface. This tool utilizes a native embedded browser component known as SWT Browser to display dependency information when developers interact with the wizard. The embedded browser has JavaScript enabled, creating a potential attack surface that can be exploited through maliciously crafted responses from Initializr endpoints.
When a developer interacts with the New Spring Starter Project wizard and hovers over dependency checkboxes, the IDE fetches tooltip data from external Initializr services. These endpoints are not properly validated or sanitized, allowing attackers who compromise these services to inject malicious JavaScript code into the tooltips. The embedded browser component executes this JavaScript code within the context of the IDE's user interface, creating a security risk that extends beyond simple UI manipulation.
The attack vector demonstrates a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability where untrusted data flows from an external endpoint into the embedded browser component without proper sanitization or content security policy enforcement. This architectural flaw allows for arbitrary script execution within the IDE environment, though the attack scope is limited to in-IDE operations rather than direct system compromise. The vulnerability specifically affects versions 5.2.0 and earlier of Spring Tools for Eclipse, indicating this was a recognized issue that required immediate attention.
The operational impact of this vulnerability includes potential UI spoofing attacks where malicious content could manipulate the visual appearance of the IDE interface to deceive developers. Additionally, the embedded browser could establish outbound network connections to attacker-controlled endpoints, enabling beaconing behavior that could exfiltrate information or receive further instructions. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which covers cross-site scripting flaws and represents a typical attack pattern in the ATT&CK framework under the technique of "Exploitation for Client Execution" category.
Organizations using Spring Tools for Eclipse should immediately upgrade to version 5.2.1 or later where this vulnerability has been addressed through improved input validation and enhanced security controls around external data handling. The mitigation strategy involves implementing proper content sanitization before rendering external tooltips, establishing secure communication channels with trusted Initializr endpoints, and potentially disabling JavaScript execution in embedded browser components when displaying untrusted content. Security teams should also monitor for unusual network activity originating from development environments that might indicate exploitation attempts, as the beaconing behavior could serve as an indicator of compromise within development networks.