Spring Data RestFramework / library · VMware
CVE-2026-41728
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 Data REST's JSON Patch (application/json-patch+json) implementation does not apply the write-access filter to intermediate path segments when resolving a multi-segment JSON Pointer. Affected versions: Spring Data REST 3.7.0 through 3.7.19; 4.3.0 through 4.3.16; 4.4.0 through 4.4.14; 4.5.0 through 4.5.11; 5.0.0 through 5.0.5.
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 Data REST's JSON Patch (application/json-patch+json) implementation fails to apply the write-access filter to intermediate path segments when resolving multi-segment JSON Pointers. This allows attackers to bypass authorization controls and modify restricted data by crafting JSON Patch operations that target nested resources through intermediate paths that should be protected.
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 Data RestFramework / library
>= 3.7.0, < 3.7.20>= 4.3.0, < 4.3.17>= 4.4.0, < 4.4.15>= 4.5.0, < 4.5.11.1>= 5.0.0, < 5.0.5.1CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify Spring Data REST dependencySearch your project build files (pom.xml, build.gradle) for spring-data-rest dependency and note its versionAffected if The version falls within any of the affected ranges: 3.7.0-3.7.19, 4.3.0-4.3.16, 4.4.0-4.4.14, 4.5.0-4.5.11, or 5.0.0-5.0.5
-
Confirm JSON Patch support is enabledCheck your Spring Data REST configuration for RepositoryRestConfigurer or @RepositoryRestResource annotations that expose REST endpoints; verify the application serves PATCH endpoints via Controller mappingsAffected if JSON Patch (HTTP PATCH with application/json-patch+json) is enabled and exposed
-
Verify write-access controls existInspect your application for implementations of @WriteAccess or custom RepositoryEventHandler classes that apply authorization logic to PATCH operations; check for SecurityEvaluationContextExtension or method-level security annotationsAffected if Write-access filters are defined but only applied to the final path segment, not intermediate segments
-
Test multi-segment pointer behaviorSend a PATCH request with a JSON Patch operation targeting a nested path (e.g., {"op":"replace","path":"/parent/child/value","value":"x"}) to an endpoint that should restrict write access to the parent or child resourceAffected if The operation succeeds despite the parent/child resource being protected by write-access controls that would block direct modification
-
Check runtime dependency versionsAt runtime, inspect the spring-data-rest-core JAR or use your application's /actuator/info endpoint to confirm the exact deployed version of Spring Data RESTAffected if The deployed version matches any of the affected version ranges listed
Your environment is affected if you run a vulnerable Spring Data REST version with JSON Patch endpoints exposed and write-access controls that do not filter intermediate path segments in multi-segment JSON Pointers.
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 · scoped3.7.204.3.174.4.15
Upgrade Spring Data REST to a patched version beyond the affected releases. As a temporary workaround, consider disabling JSON Patch support or implementing additional authorization checks at the API gateway level.
Upgrade to 3.7.20 (3.7.x), 4.3.17 (4.3.x), 4.4.15 (4.4.x), or 4.5.11.1 (4.5.x) depending on your current major version line
- 1. Identify the Spring Data REST version currently in use by checking project dependencies (e.g., pom.xml, build.gradle)
- 2. Determine which major version line your current installation belongs to (3.7.x, 4.3.x, 4.4.x, or 4.5.x)
- 3. For 3.7.x line: upgrade to version 3.7.20 or later
- 4. For 4.3.x line: upgrade to version 4.3.17 or later
- 5. For 4.4.x line: upgrade to version 4.4.15 or later
- 6. For 4.5.x line: upgrade to version 4.5.11.1 or later
- 7. Update the dependency version in your build configuration file
- 8. Rebuild and test the application to ensure compatibility
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Spring Data Rest
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,928.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-41728 — 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-2026-41728 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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