CVE-2024-22233: VMware Spring Framework DoS Vulnerability

CVE-2024-22233 Overview

CVE-2024-22233 is a Denial of Service (DoS) vulnerability affecting Spring Framework versions 6.0.15 and 6.1.2. The vulnerability allows an attacker to send specially crafted HTTP requests that may cause a denial-of-service condition in applications using Spring MVC in combination with Spring Security 6.1.6+ or 6.2.1+.

This vulnerability specifically targets Spring Boot applications that include both the org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-web and org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-security dependencies. When these conditions are met, the application becomes vulnerable to resource exhaustion through malicious HTTP requests.

Critical Impact

Attackers can remotely trigger denial-of-service conditions without authentication, potentially causing complete service unavailability for affected Spring Framework applications.

Affected Products

• VMware Spring Framework 6.0.15
• VMware Spring Framework 6.1.2
• Spring Boot applications with spring-boot-starter-web and spring-boot-starter-security dependencies

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-01-22 - CVE-2024-22233 published to NVD
• 2025-06-20 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-22233

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-400 (Uncontrolled Resource Consumption), indicating that the flaw allows attackers to consume excessive system resources through specially crafted requests. The vulnerability exists in the interaction between Spring MVC and Spring Security components, where malformed HTTP requests can trigger resource exhaustion conditions.

The attack surface is significant because the vulnerability can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring any authentication or user interaction. An attacker with network access to a vulnerable application can send crafted HTTP requests that cause the service to become unresponsive or crash entirely.

Root Cause

The root cause lies in improper handling of certain HTTP request patterns when Spring MVC processes requests in conjunction with Spring Security's authorization mechanisms. The vulnerability manifests when the application has both Spring MVC for web handling and Spring Security 6.1.6+ or 6.2.1+ on the classpath. Under these specific conditions, maliciously crafted requests can bypass normal request processing safeguards and trigger resource exhaustion.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, allowing remote exploitation. An attacker can target vulnerable Spring Framework applications by sending specially crafted HTTP requests to any endpoint handled by Spring MVC. The attack does not require authentication, making it particularly dangerous for internet-facing applications.

The attack flow typically involves:

1. Identifying a target application running affected Spring Framework versions
2. Confirming the presence of Spring Security 6.1.6+ or 6.2.1+ on the classpath
3. Sending crafted HTTP requests designed to trigger the DoS condition
4. Exhausting server resources, causing service disruption

The vulnerability mechanism involves resource exhaustion through malformed HTTP request handling. For detailed technical information, refer to the Spring Security Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-22233

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual spikes in HTTP request volume targeting Spring MVC endpoints
• Increased server resource consumption (CPU, memory) without corresponding legitimate traffic increase
• Application logs showing repeated request processing failures or timeouts
• Service unavailability or degraded response times correlating with specific request patterns

Detection Strategies

• Monitor application logs for patterns of malformed HTTP requests or unusual request characteristics
• Implement anomaly detection for HTTP request patterns that deviate from normal application traffic
• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious request patterns
• Use application performance monitoring (APM) tools to identify resource exhaustion events

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for Spring MVC request handling to identify suspicious patterns
• Configure alerting for sudden increases in error rates or response times
• Monitor JVM metrics for memory and thread pool exhaustion
• Implement request rate limiting to mitigate volumetric DoS attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-22233

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Spring Framework to a patched version that addresses CVE-2024-22233
• Review application dependencies to confirm Spring Security version compatibility
• Implement rate limiting on exposed endpoints as a temporary mitigation
• Consider deploying WAF rules to filter potentially malicious requests

Patch Information

VMware has released security updates to address this vulnerability. Organizations should upgrade to patched versions of Spring Framework as detailed in the Spring Security Advisory. Additional vendor-specific guidance is available from the NetApp Security Advisory NTAP-20240614-0005.

Workarounds

• Implement request rate limiting at the load balancer or reverse proxy level
• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to filter suspicious HTTP patterns
• If Spring Security is not required, consider temporarily removing it from the classpath until patching is complete
• Isolate affected applications behind additional network security controls

# Configuration example - Verify Spring Framework version in Maven
mvn dependency:tree | grep spring-framework
# Update pom.xml to use patched Spring Framework version
# <spring.version>6.1.3</spring.version> or later