CVE-2025-41242: vmware spring_framework Path Traversal

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2025-41242 is a medium (CVSS 5.9) Path Traversal vulnerability in vmware spring_framework. EPSS estimates a 2.13% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 81.6% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 18-08-2025
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 25-08-2025
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

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.

• 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.