Spring Data Commons Remote Code Execution (RCE) Vulnerability via SpEL Injection (CVE-2018-1273) Technical Advisory
Executive & SecOps Summary
SECOPS ASSESSMENTSpring Data Commons versions 1.13 to 1.13.10, 2.0 to 2.0.5, and older unsupported versions.
Unauthenticated remote attackers can execute arbitrary system commands on the target server by sending specially crafted HTTP request parameters.
Immediately upgrade Spring Data Commons to version 1.13.11, 2.0.6, or later, and apply input validation controls.
Affected Products & Version Scope
Remediation & Live Workaround Commands
PATCH & WORKAROUND1. Official Patch & Version Upgrade Commands
Update the Spring Data Commons dependency in your build configuration (Maven or Gradle) to a secure version (1.13.11, 2.0.6, or later).
<!-- Maven pom.xml Dependency Update -->
<dependency>
<groupId>org.springframework.data</groupId>
<artifactId>spring-data-commons</artifactId>
<version>2.0.6.RELEASE</version>
</dependency>2. Temporary Workaround & Hardening Configuration
If immediate patching is not feasible, deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules or reverse proxy filters to block requests containing SpEL payloads.
# Nginx configuration to block common SpEL injection patterns
server {
listen 80;
server_name app.example.com;
location / {
# Block requests containing Java runtime execution patterns in body/args
if ($request_body ~* '(java\.lang\.|Runtime|ProcessBuilder|Class\.forName)') {
return 403 'Request blocked due to security policy';
}
proxy_pass http://app_backend;
}
}3. Log Audit & IoC Verification Commands
Search application access logs for potential SpEL injection payloads and exploitation attempts.
# Search access logs for SpEL injection patterns and Java class references
grep -Ei '(\x23|#)this|java\.lang\.Runtime|ProcessBuilder' /var/log/nginx/access.log /var/log/httpd/access_log 2>/dev/nullScan Your Repositories for Transitive Vulnerable Dependencies in 30 Seconds
Automatically detect vulnerable packages across npm, PyPI, Maven, and Go, and open automated fix Pull Requests without breaking your build.
Technical Root Cause & Exploitation Mechanics
1. Vulnerability Overview & Root Cause
This vulnerability exists in the property binder component of Spring Data Commons due to improper neutralization of special elements. When an application uses Spring Data REST or projection-based request payload binding, user-supplied input parameters are evaluated by the Spring Expression Language (SpEL) engine without sufficient validation, leading to a critical SpEL Injection vulnerability.
2. Exploitation Mechanics & Attack Scenario
An unauthenticated remote attacker targets HTTP endpoints backed by Spring Data REST. By submitting a specially crafted HTTP POST request where parameter keys contain SpEL expressions (e.g., username[#this.getClass().forName('java.lang.Runtime').getRuntime().exec('...')]), the internal MapDataBinder parses and evaluates the key as a SpEL expression, resulting in arbitrary OS command execution under the context of the application process.
3. Infrastructure & Business Impact
With a CVSS score of 9.8 and active exploitation tracked in CISA's KEV catalog, this vulnerability poses an extreme risk. Successful exploitation allows complete system compromise, enabling attackers to establish reverse shells, exfiltrate sensitive data, deploy ransomware, and pivot laterally within the internal network.
Official Vendor Advisories & References
Spring Data Commons, versions prior to 1.13 to 1.13.10, 2.0 to 2.0.5, and older unsupported versions, contain a property binder vulnerability caused by improper neutralization of special elements. An unauthenticated remote malicious user (or attacker) can supply specially crafted request parameters against Spring Data REST backed HTTP resources or using Spring Data's projection-based request payload binding hat can lead to a remote code execution attack.
Frequently Asked SecOps Questions (CVE-2018-1273)
FAQQ1. How critical is CVE-2018-1273 and is it actively exploited in the wild?
CVE-2018-1273 is rated CVSS 9.8 (CRITICAL) with a 30-day EPSS exploitation probability of 97.0%. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, requiring immediate emergency remediation.
Q2. Which vendors and products are affected by CVE-2018-1273?
Primary impacted vendors include pivotal, vmware, spring across spring_data_commons, spring_data_rest. Scope summary: Spring Data Commons versions 1.13 to 1.13.10, 2.0 to 2.0.5, and older unsupported versions.
Q3. What temporary mitigations or workarounds exist for CVE-2018-1273 before patching?
[Mitigation] Immediately upgrade Spring Data Commons to version 1.13.11, 2.0.6, or later, and apply input validation controls. Follow the CLI remediation commands and interactive SecOps checklist on this page to restrict exposure prior to your maintenance window.
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