Spring SecurityFramework / library · VMware
CVE-2020-5408
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 Security versions 5.3.x prior to 5.3.2, 5.2.x prior to 5.2.4, 5.1.x prior to 5.1.10, 5.0.x prior to 5.0.16 and 4.2.x prior to 4.2.16 use a fixed null initialization vector with CBC Mode in the implementation of the queryable text encryptor. A malicious user with access to the data that has been encrypted using such an encryptor may be able to derive the unencrypted values using a dictionary 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 Security's queryable text encryptor uses a fixed null initialization vector (IV) in CBC mode encryption. This cryptographic weakness allows attackers with access to encrypted data to perform dictionary attacks and derive the original plaintext values.
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 SecurityFramework / library
>= 4.2.0, < 4.2.16>= 5.0.0, < 5.0.16>= 5.1.0, < 5.1.10>= 5.2.0, < 5.2.4>= 5.3.0, < 5.3.2CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Spring Security versionLocate the spring-security-core JAR file in your project dependencies or build configuration (pom.xml, build.gradle, package manifest). Check the declared version number.Affected if The installed version falls within 4.2.0 to 4.2.15, 5.0.0 to 5.0.15, 5.1.0 to 5.1.9, 5.2.0 to 5.2.3, or 5.3.0 to 5.3.1.
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Verify queryable text encryptor usageSearch your Spring configuration files (XML, Java, or properties) for instances of queryable text encryptor, such as QueryableEncryptor, or related bean definitions that handle text encryption.Affected if Your application configures or uses a queryable text encryptor for protecting data.
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Confirm CBC mode encryption is activeExamine the encryptor configuration to determine if CBC mode is specified or used by default for the text encryption implementation.Affected if CBC mode is the encryption mode configured for the text encryptor.
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Check for randomized IV generationReview the encryptor implementation or configuration to see whether initialization vectors are generated randomly per encryption operation.Affected if The encryptor uses a fixed or null initialization vector instead of randomized IVs for each encryption operation.
You are affected if your application uses a version of Spring Security within the affected ranges AND utilizes the queryable text encryptor with CBC mode encryption that does not generate random initialization vectors.
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 data4.2.165.0.165.1.10
Upgrade Spring Security to version 5.3.2+, 5.2.4+, 5.1.10+, 5.0.16+, or 4.2.16+ which implement proper randomized IV generation for CBC mode encryption.
Fix this in Spring Security
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,416.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-5408 — 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-2020-5408 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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