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Spring BootFramework / library · VMware

CVE-2018-1196

MEDIUM · 5.9 CVSS v3.0 Published 2018-03-19
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 1.5.9 or later.
See remediation →
68/100
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
Spring Boot supports an embedded launch script that can be used to easily run the application as a systemd or init.d linux service. The script included with Spring Boot 1.5.9 and earlier and 2.0.0.M1 through 2.0.0.M7 is susceptible to a symlink attack which allows the "run_user" to overwrite and take ownership of any file on the same system. In order to instigate the attack, the application must be installed as a service and the "run_user" requires shell access to the server. Spring Boot application that are not installed as a service, or are not using the embedded launch script are not susceptible.

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

Spring Boot's embedded launch script for systemd/init.d services contains a symlink race condition vulnerability. The script allows the service's run_user to overwrite or take ownership of arbitrary files on the system by exploiting symlink attacks during startup. Exploitation requires the application to be installed as a service and the run_user to have shell access.

MitigationUpgrade Spring Boot to version 1.5.10 or later, or 2.0.0.RELEASE or later which contain the patched launch script. Alternatively, ensure strict file permissions on the application directory and avoid using the embedded launch script if immediate upgrading is not feasible.

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 BootFramework / library
Affected:<= 1.5.9= 2.0.0

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
High
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/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. Check Spring Boot version
    Inspect the application's build file (pom.xml or build.gradle) or examine the JAR manifest (run: jar tf app.jar | grep META-INF/MANIFEST.MF then extract and view it) to find the Spring Boot version.
    Affected if The version is 1.5.9 or lower, or exactly 2.0.0 (the 2.0.0.RELEASE without the .RELEASE suffix).
  2. Identify if the app runs as a systemd service
    Run: systemctl list-units --type=service | grep -i your-app-name or check /etc/systemd/system/ for service unit files.
    Affected if A systemd service unit exists and points to the Spring Boot application.
  3. Identify if the app runs as an init.d service
    Check for symlinks in /etc/init.d/ pointing to the application's start script, or run: ls -la /etc/init.d/ | grep -i your-app.
    Affected if An init.d script exists for the Spring Boot application.
  4. Verify the embedded launch script is in use
    Examine the service unit file (systemd) or init.d script to confirm it invokes the Spring Boot embedded wrapper script (usually found inside the JAR at spring-boot-launcher or similar paths).
    Affected if The service uses the embedded launch script from within the JAR file.
  5. Check run_user and shell access
    In the systemd unit file, look for User= and Group= settings; in init.d scripts, look for the RUN_AS_USER variable. Determine if this user has shell access (check /etc/passwd or try: su - username).
    Affected if A run_user is defined and that user has shell login capability.

You are affected if your Spring Boot version is 1.5.9 or lower, or exactly 2.0.0, AND the application is installed as a systemd or init.d service using the embedded launch script with a run_user that has shell access.

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 a release after 1.5.9
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Spring Boot to version 1.5.10 or later, or 2.0.0.RELEASE or later which contain the patched launch script. Alternatively, ensure strict file permissions on the application directory and avoid using the embedded launch script if immediate upgrading is not feasible.

Fix this in Spring Boot Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,040
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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-2018-1196 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