Spring Cloud ConfigFramework / library · VMware
CVE-2026-40981
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 · uneditedWhen using Google Secrets Manager as a backend for the Spring Cloud Config server a client can craft a request to the config server potentially exposing secrets from unintended GCP projects. Spring Cloud Config 3.1.x: affected from 3.1.0 through 3.1.13 (inclusive); upgrade to 3.1.14 or greater (Enterprise Support Only). Spring Cloud Config 4.1.x: affected from 4.1.0 through 4.1.9 (inclusive); upgrade to 4.1.10 or greater (Enterprise Support Only). Spring Cloud Config 4.2.x: affected from 4.2.0 through 4.2.6 (inclusive); upgrade to 4.2.7 or greater (Enterprise Support Only). Spring Cloud Config 4.3.x: affected from 4.3.0 through 4.3.2 (inclusive); upgrade to 4.3.3 or greater. Spring Cloud Config 5.0.x: affected from 5.0.0 through 5.0.2 (inclusive); upgrade to 5.0.3 or greater.
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 confidenceWhen Spring Cloud Config Server uses Google Secrets Manager as a backend, an attacker can craft malicious requests to access secrets from GCP projects other than the intended one, indicating improper access control or project/secret path validation when resolving secrets.
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
>= 3.1.0, < 3.1.14>= 4.1.0, < 4.1.10>= 4.2.0, < 4.2.7>= 4.3.0, < 4.3.3>= 5.0.0, < 5.0.3CVSS 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
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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 Cloud Config Server versionCheck the version of Spring Cloud Config Server in your deployment. This is typically found in your build configuration (Maven pom.xml, Gradle build.gradle), the application's manifest, or by examining the JAR file's manifest. The version format follows the patterns 3.1.x, 4.1.x, 4.2.x, 4.3.x, or 5.0.x.Affected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges: >= 3.1.0 and < 3.1.14, >= 4.1.0 and < 4.1.10, >= 4.2.0 and < 4.2.7, >= 4.3.0 and < 4.3.3, or >= 5.0.0 and < 5.0.3.
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Verify GCP Secrets Manager backend is in useExamine the Spring Cloud Config Server configuration files (application.yml, application.properties, or environment variables) for properties that configure Google Secrets Manager as the backend. Look for spring.config.import, spring.cloud.config.server.gcp-secrets-manager, or similar GCP Secrets Manager configuration keys.Affected if The configuration explicitly uses Google Secrets Manager as the configuration source backend.
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Check GCP project configurationReview the GCP project configuration in the Spring Cloud Config Server settings. Look for properties such as spring.cloud.config.server.gcp-secrets-manager.project-id or equivalent GCP project identifier settings that define which GCP project secrets are retrieved from.Affected if A GCP project ID is configured and the server is configured to access secrets from that project.
You are affected if your Spring Cloud Config Server version is within the vulnerable ranges AND you have GCP Secrets Manager configured as your backend configuration source.
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.
dbcve · scoped3.1.144.1.104.2.7
Upgrade Spring Cloud Config Server to version 3.1.14+, 4.1.10+, 4.2.7+, 4.3.3+, or 5.0.3+ depending on the branch in use, or implement project/secret path validation controls to restrict secret access to only intended GCP projects.
Spring Cloud Config 3.1.x -> 3.1.14+; 4.1.x -> 4.1.10+; 4.2.x -> 4.2.7+; 4.3.x -> 4.3.3+; 5.0.x -> 5.0.3+
- Identify your current Spring Cloud Config version by checking your pom.xml or build configuration
- Determine which version branch you are on (3.1.x, 4.1.x, 4.2.x, 4.3.x, or 5.0.x)
- For Spring Cloud Config 3.1.x users: upgrade to version 3.1.14 or later (note: Enterprise Support Only - may require Spring subscription)
- For Spring Cloud Config 4.1.x users: upgrade to version 4.1.10 or later
- For Spring Cloud Config 4.2.x users: upgrade to version 4.2.7 or later
- For Spring Cloud Config 4.3.x users: upgrade to version 4.3.3 or later
- For Spring Cloud Config 5.0.x users: upgrade to version 5.0.3 or later
- Update the Spring Cloud Config version in your pom.xml or build.gradle file
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Spring Cloud Config
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 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 $3,088.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-40981 — 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-2026-40981 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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