CVE-2026-40972
CVE-2026-40972 is a high-severity vulnerability in Vmware Spring Boot with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-208.
Key facts
- Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
- EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (18th percentile)
- Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
- EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2026-25936
- Weakness: CWE-208
- Affected product: Vmware Spring Boot
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
An attacker on the same network as the remote application may be able to utilize a timing attack to discover information about the remote secret. In extreme circumstances this could result in the attacker determining the secret and uploading changed classes, thereby achieving remote code execution in the remote application. Affected: Spring Boot 4.0.0–4.0.5 (fix 4.0.6), 3.5.0–3.5.13 (fix 3.5.14), 3.4.0–3.4.15 (fix 3.4.16), 3.3.0–3.3.18 (fix 3.3.19), 2.7.0–2.7.32 (fix 2.7.33); DevTools remote secret comparison. Versions that are no longer supported are also affected per vendor advisory.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-40972?
- An attacker on the same network as the remote application may be able to utilize a timing attack to discover information about the remote secret. In extreme circumstances this could result in the attacker determining the secret and uploading changed classes, thereby achieving remote code execution in the remote application. Affected: Spring Boot 4.0.0–4.0.5 (fix 4.0.6), 3.5.0–3.5.13 (fix 3.5.14), 3.4.0–3.4.15 (fix 3.4.16), 3.3.0–3.3.18 (fix 3.3.19), 2.7.0–2.7.32 (fix 2.7.33); DevTools remote secret comparison. Versions that are no longer supported are also affected per vendor advisory.
- How severe is CVE-2026-40972?
- CVE-2026-40972 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over an adjacent network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
- Is CVE-2026-40972 being actively exploited?
- It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (18th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- What products are affected by CVE-2026-40972?
- CVE-2026-40972 affects Vmware Spring Boot. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-40972?
- Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
- Does CVE-2026-40972 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
- Yes. CVE-2026-40972 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-25936.
- When was CVE-2026-40972 published?
- CVE-2026-40972 was published on 2026-04-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
Affected products (1)
- cpe:2.3:a:vmware:spring_boot:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
More vulnerabilities in Vmware Spring Boot
- CVE-2023-20873 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): In Spring Boot versions 3.0.0 - 3.0.5, 2.7.0 - 2.7.10, and older unsupported versions, an application that is deployed…
- CVE-2021-26987 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Element Plug-in for vCenter Server incorporates SpringBoot Framework. SpringBoot Framework versions prior to 1.3.2 are…
- CVE-2017-8046 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Malicious PATCH requests submitted to servers using Spring Data REST versions prior to 2.6.9 (Ingalls SR9), versions…
- CVE-2026-40976 — Critical (CVSS 9.1): In certain circumstances, Spring Boot's default web security is ineffective allowing unauthorized access to all…
- CVE-2026-22733 — High (CVSS 8.2): Spring Boot applications with Actuator can be vulnerable to an "Authentication Bypass" vulnerability when an…
- CVE-2026-22731 — High (CVSS 8.2): Spring Boot applications with Actuator can be vulnerable to an "Authentication Bypass" vulnerability when an…
All CVEs affecting Vmware Spring Boot →
Other CWE-208 vulnerabilities
- CVE-2023-41313 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The authentication method in Apache Doris versions before 2.0.0 was vulnerable to timing attacks. Users are recommended…
- CVE-2024-42512 — High (CVSS 8.6): Vulnerability in the OPC UA .NET Standard Stack before 1.5.374.158 allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass…
- CVE-2025-53940 — High (CVSS 8.5): Quiet is an alternative to team chat apps like Slack, Discord, and Element that does not require trusting a central…
- CVE-2026-47784 — High (CVSS 8.1): In memcached before 1.6.42, password data for SASL password database authentication has a timing side channel because…
- CVE-2026-47783 — High (CVSS 8.1): In memcached before 1.6.42, username data for SASL password database authentication has a timing side channel because a…
- CVE-2026-42602 — High (CVSS 8.1): azureauthextension is the Azure Authenticator Extension. From 0.124.0 to 0.150.0, a server-side authentication bypass…