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Spring FrameworkFramework / library · VMware

CVE-2014-3625

MEDIUM · 5.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2014-11-20
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 3.2.12 / 4.0.8 or later.
See remediation →
59/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Directory traversal vulnerability in Pivotal Spring Framework 3.0.4 through 3.2.x before 3.2.12, 4.0.x before 4.0.8, and 4.1.x before 4.1.2 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via unspecified vectors, related to static resource handling.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Directory traversal vulnerability in Spring Framework's static resource handling allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files on the server by manipulating file paths in HTTP requests.

MitigationUpgrade Spring Framework to version 3.2.12, 4.0.8, or 4.1.2 or later. Implement strict input validation on file path parameters and restrict access to sensitive filesystem locations as a defense-in-depth measure.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Spring FrameworkFramework / library
Affected:>= 3.0.4, <= 3.0.7
Spring FrameworkFramework / library
Affected:>= 3.1.0, <= 3.1.4>= 3.2.0, < 3.2.12>= 4.0.0, < 4.0.8>= 4.1.0, < 4.1.2

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Partial
Integrity
None
Availability
None

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the Spring Framework version in use
    Locate the spring-core.jar or spring-web.jar file in your application classpath or build dependencies (Maven pom.xml, Gradle build.gradle, or the JAR file manifest). Check the version number against the affected ranges: VMware 3.0.4-3.0.7, Pivotal 3.1.0-3.1.4, 3.2.0-3.2.11, 4.0.0-4.0.7, 4.1.0-4.1.1
    Affected if The installed Spring Framework version falls within any of the affected version ranges listed.
  2. Verify if static resource handling is enabled
    Search the application configuration files (XML: applicationContext.xml, spring-servlet.xml; or Java config: @Configuration classes) for ResourceHandlerRegistry, addResourceHandlers, or <mvc:resources> elements that map URL paths to filesystem locations.
    Affected if Static resource handling is configured and maps URL paths to filesystem locations.
  3. Check for exposed resource endpoints
    Review your web application URL mappings (via @RequestMapping, @GetMapping, or XML servlet mappings) to identify any endpoints that accept path variables or parameters that could be used to construct file paths for static resource retrieval.
    Affected if The application exposes HTTP endpoints that accept file path parameters without strict validation.
  4. Inspect input validation on path parameters
    Examine controller methods and any filter/interceptor code that processes file path parameters from incoming HTTP requests. Look for validation logic that restricts paths to expected directories or blocks traversal sequences like ../
    Affected if There is no strict input validation on path parameters, or validation can be bypassed.

You are affected if your application runs a Spring Framework version within the affected ranges AND uses static resource handling with paths derived from unvalidated HTTP request parameters.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 3.2.12 / 4.0.8 / 4.1.2 or later
Fixed in 3.2.124.0.84.1.2
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Spring Framework to version 3.2.12, 4.0.8, or 4.1.2 or later. Implement strict input validation on file path parameters and restrict access to sensitive filesystem locations as a defense-in-depth measure.

Fix this in Spring Framework Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,770
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2014-3625 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data