CVE-2020-5410: VMware Tanzu Spring Cloud Config Directory Traversal Vulnerability

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2020-5410 is a high (CVSS 7.5) Relative Path Traversal vulnerability in VMware Tanzu Spring Cloud Configuration (Config) Server. It is known to be exploited: CISA lists it, first on 25-03-2022. EPSS estimates a 95.59% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 99.8% of scored vulnerabilities. 1 public exploit is recorded.

Timeline

1. 02-06-2020
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 25-03-2022
   Added to CISA KEVVMware Tanzu Spring Cloud Config Directory Traversal Vulnerability
3. 15-04-2022
   CISA remediation dueApply updates per vendor instructions.
4. 21-10-2025
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

Spring Cloud Config, versions 2.2.x prior to 2.2.3, versions 2.1.x prior to 2.1.9, and older unsupported versions allow applications to serve arbitrary configuration files through the spring-cloud-config-server module. A malicious user, or attacker, can send a request using a specially crafted URL that can lead to a directory traversal attack.

• CWE-23Relative Path TraversalThe product uses external input to construct a pathname that should be within a restricted directory, but it does not properly neutralize sequences such as ".." that can resolve to a location that is outside of that directory.
• CWE-22Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.