CVE-2025-41242

Published Aug 18, 2025

Last updated 16 days ago

CVSS medium 5.9
Apache Tomcat
Spring Framework MVC
Eclipse Jetty

Overview

AI description

Automated description summarized from trusted sources.

CVE-2025-41242 is a path traversal vulnerability found in Spring Framework MVC applications. This flaw allows attackers to potentially access files outside the intended directory structure through specially crafted requests. The vulnerability manifests when an application is deployed as a WAR file or with an embedded Servlet container, the Servlet container fails to reject suspicious URI sequences as specified in the Jakarta Servlet 6.1 specification, and the application serves static resources using Spring's resource handling. While applications deployed on Apache Tomcat or Eclipse Jetty are generally not vulnerable with default security features, other Servlet containers or custom configurations may be susceptible.

Description
Spring Framework MVC applications can be vulnerable to a “Path Traversal Vulnerability” when deployed on a non-compliant Servlet container. An application can be vulnerable when all the following are true: * the application is deployed as a WAR or with an embedded Servlet container * the Servlet container does not reject suspicious sequences https://jakarta.ee/specifications/servlet/6.1/jakarta-servlet-spec-6.1.html#uri-path-canonicalization * the application serves static resources https://docs.spring.io/spring-framework/reference/web/webmvc/mvc-config/static-resources.html#page-title  with Spring resource handling We have verified that applications deployed on Apache Tomcat or Eclipse Jetty are not vulnerable, as long as default security features are not disabled in the configuration. Because we cannot check exploits against all Servlet containers and configuration variants, we strongly recommend upgrading your application.
Source
security@vmware.com
NVD status
Deferred

Risk scores

CVSS 3.1

Type
Secondary
Base score
5.9
Impact score
3.6
Exploitability score
2.2
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Severity
MEDIUM

Weaknesses

134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
CWE-22

Social media

Hype score is a measure of social media activity compared against trending CVEs from the past 12 months. Max score 100.

Hype score

23

  1. Ghost Bits is a brilliant research: https://t.co/gA5vPZGWf0 Now you can reproduce CVE-2025-41242 in Vulhub, Spring/Jetty Path traversal caused by Ghost Bits: https://t.co/yWmAvEV3cW This issue exists in spring-boot-starter-jetty <= 3.2.4 with zero configuration https://t.co/1k

    @phithon_xg

    27 Apr 2026

    21613 Impressions

    59 Retweets

    244 Likes

    143 Bookmarks

    3 Replies

    1 Quote

  2. CVE-2025-41242 Spring Framework MVC applications can be vulnerable to a “Path Traversal Vulnerability” when deployed on a non-compliant Servlet container. An application can be vul… https://t.co/q6DFny4zvq

    @CVEnew

    18 Aug 2025

    548 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    1 Like

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

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References

Sources include official advisories and independent security research.