CVE-2025-41232: Spring Security Aspects Authorization Bypass Vulnerability

Overview

This article discusses a serious vulnerability in Spring Security Aspects (CVE-2025-41232) that may potentially lead to an authorization bypass. This vulnerability, if exploited, can compromise the security of the system and potentially lead to data leakage. Applications that use @EnableMethodSecurity(mode=ASPECTJ) and spring-security-aspects, particularly those with Spring Security method annotations on private methods, are most at risk. This vulnerability is of significant concern due to the high CVSS severity score of 9.1, indicating its potential for severe impacts if left unaddressed.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-41232
Severity: Critical (9.1 CVSS score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

Spring Security Aspects | All versions prior to the patch

How the Exploit Works

The exploit works by taking advantage of a flaw in how Spring Security Aspects locates method security annotations on private methods. If an attacker can invoke a method with these annotations, they may be able to bypass the application’s authorization mechanisms. This could potentially allow the attacker to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information or functionalities.

Conceptual Example Code

Below is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. This pseudocode represents a potential unauthorized access to a private method:

public class VulnerableClass {
@Secured("ROLE_ADMIN")
private void sensitiveMethod() {
// Perform sensitive operations
}
}
public class ExploitClass {
public void exploit(VulnerableClass target) {
// Bypass authorization and invoke the sensitive method
target.sensitiveMethod();
}
}

In this example, the `ExploitClass` is able to bypass the `@Secured` annotation on `sensitiveMethod` and invoke it without the required admin role.

Solutions and Mitigations

The best way to mitigate the impact of this vulnerability is to apply the vendor patch as soon as it’s available. In the meantime, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can provide a temporary mitigation. Additionally, reviewing your application’s use of Spring Security Aspects and avoiding method security annotations on private methods, if feasible, can also reduce the risk.