Spring Cloud ConfigFramework / library · VMware
CVE-2020-5405
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 · uneditedSpring Cloud Config, versions 2.2.x prior to 2.2.2, versions 2.1.x prior to 2.1.7, 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 a directory traversal attack.
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 confidenceSpring Cloud Config Server versions prior to 2.2.2 and 2.1.7 contain a directory traversal vulnerability that allows attackers to access arbitrary configuration files on the server filesystem via specially crafted URL paths.
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 Cloud ConfigFramework / library
>= 2.1.0, < 2.1.7>= 2.2.0, < 2.2.2CVSS 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
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Spring Cloud Config Server deploymentLocate the deployed JAR/WAR file or identify the running Java process containing 'spring-cloud-config-server' in its command line or process listAffected if Spring Cloud Config Server is present in the environment
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Determine installed versionInspect the META-INF/MANIFEST.MF file inside the deployed JAR or check the application startup logs for the Spring Cloud Config version numberAffected if Version is 2.1.0 through 2.1.6 or 2.2.0 through 2.2.1 (these ranges fall below the fixed versions 2.1.7 and 2.2.2)
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Verify server is network-accessibleCheck network configuration or firewall rules to confirm the config server HTTP endpoints are reachable from non-trusted networksAffected if The server HTTP port is exposed to untrusted networks or the public internet
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Test for directory traversal via URLSend a crafted HTTP GET request to the config server using path traversal sequences (for example: /../../etc/passwd or /..%252F..%252Fetc/passwd) and observe if file contents outside the intended configuration directory are returnedAffected if The server returns configuration files or system files from outside the intended repository path
If the installed Spring Cloud Config Server version is 2.1.0-2.1.6 or 2.2.0-2.2.1 and its HTTP endpoints are accessible, the environment is affected by this directory traversal vulnerability.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 data2.1.72.2.2
Upgrade Spring Cloud Config to version 2.2.2, 2.1.7, or later. Additionally, implement input validation and network segmentation to limit exposure until the patch is applied.
Fix this in Spring Cloud Config
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,752.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-5405 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-5405 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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