Locale-Independent Lowercase Conversion Vulnerability in libspring-java Package
Summary
DEBIAN-CVE-2025-22233: CVE-2024-38820 ensured Locale-independent, lowercase conversion for both the configured disallowedFields patterns and for request parameter names. Affects libspring-java versions 4.3.30-1 – 4.3.30-3. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
libspring-java is a library that provides support for the Spring Framework, which is widely used for building Java applications. This library facilitates various functionalities such as dependency injection, aspect-oriented programming, and transaction management. The vulnerability in question affects the handling of request parameter names and disallowed fields, potentially allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2024-38820, arises from the implementation of locale-independent, lowercase conversion for disallowedFields patterns and request parameter names. Despite these measures, there are still scenarios where attackers can bypass the disallowedFields checks, leading to potential exposure of sensitive data. This issue affects multiple versions of the Spring Framework, including 6.2.0 to 6.2.6, 6.1.0 to 6.1.19, 6.0.0 to 6.0.27, and 5.3.0 to 5.3.42, as well as older unsupported versions.
How To Fix
No fixed version is published for this vulnerability.
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Workaround
As a workaround, it is recommended to use a dedicated model object with properties only for data binding or to utilize constructor binding. This approach explicitly declares what to bind and disables setter binding through the declarativeBinding flag. Additionally, when setting binding, prefer using allowedFields (an explicit list) instead of disallowedFields.
Conclusion
The CVE-2024-38820 vulnerability in the libspring-java package poses a risk of unauthorized data access due to bypassed checks. Users are advised to upgrade to the patched versions to mitigate this risk effectively. Utilizing Vulert can help monitor for such vulnerabilities in real-time.
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FAQ
CVE-2024-38820 is a vulnerability in the Spring Framework that allows bypassing disallowedFields checks, potentially exposing sensitive data.
Affected versions include libspring-java in Debian:11, Debian:12, Debian:13, and Debian:14, specifically versions of the Spring Framework from 5.3.0 to 6.2.6.
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You should upgrade to the corresponding fixed version of the Spring Framework as outlined in the 'how to fix' section.
No further mitigation steps are necessary beyond upgrading to the fixed versions. However, consider using allowedFields for data binding.
References
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