CVE-2025-22223: Spring Security Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-22223 Overview

CVE-2025-22223 is an authorization bypass vulnerability affecting Spring Security versions 6.4.0 through 6.4.3. The vulnerability occurs when Spring Security fails to correctly locate method security annotations on parameterized types or methods, potentially allowing unauthorized access to protected resources.

Critical Impact
This vulnerability can lead to authorization bypass in applications using @EnableMethodSecurity with annotations on parameterized types or methods, potentially exposing sensitive functionality to unauthorized users.

Affected Products

Spring Security 6.4.0
Spring Security 6.4.1
Spring Security 6.4.2
Spring Security 6.4.3

Discovery Timeline

2025-03-24 - CVE CVE-2025-22223 published to NVD
2025-03-27 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-22223

Vulnerability Analysis

This authorization bypass vulnerability (CWE-290: Authentication Bypass by Spoofing) stems from Spring Security's method security annotation processor failing to properly traverse and identify security annotations when they are applied to parameterized types or methods with generic type parameters. When method security is enabled via @EnableMethodSecurity, the framework's annotation discovery mechanism may not correctly resolve annotations in these specific scenarios, effectively rendering the security controls inoperative.

Applications are vulnerable when they meet all three conditions: method security is enabled, security annotations exist on parameterized types or methods, and those annotations are not directly attached to target methods. The network-accessible nature of this flaw means that remote attackers could potentially invoke protected methods without proper authorization.

Root Cause

The root cause lies in Spring Security's annotation resolution logic for method-level security. When processing method security annotations such as @PreAuthorize, @PostAuthorize, @Secured, or @RolesAllowed on parameterized types or generic methods, the annotation locator fails to properly traverse the type hierarchy and resolve the annotations. This causes the security framework to proceed as if no authorization requirements exist for the affected methods.

Attack Vector

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability remotely over the network without authentication. The attack requires no user interaction and targets applications where:

The application uses Spring Security 6.4.0 - 6.4.3
Method security is enabled via @EnableMethodSecurity
Security annotations are placed on parameterized types or generic methods
The annotations are not duplicated on the concrete target methods

When these conditions are met, an attacker can directly invoke protected endpoints or methods that should require specific roles or permissions, bypassing the intended authorization controls entirely.

The vulnerability mechanism involves Spring Security's failure to locate method security annotations on parameterized types during runtime. When a method with generic type parameters is annotated with security constraints, the annotation processor may not correctly identify these annotations during the authorization check phase. For detailed technical information, see the Spring Security Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-22223

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected successful access to endpoints or methods that should require specific roles or permissions
Missing authorization check entries in security audit logs for protected resources
Access to sensitive functionality from unauthenticated or low-privilege user sessions
Anomalous patterns of access to methods decorated with security annotations on generic types

Detection Strategies

Review application code for @EnableMethodSecurity usage combined with annotations on parameterized types
Audit Spring Security version in dependency management files (pom.xml, build.gradle)
Implement integration tests that verify authorization enforcement on generic method signatures
Monitor application logs for access patterns that bypass expected authorization flows

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable debug logging for Spring Security's method security module to track annotation resolution
Implement application-level access logging for sensitive operations beyond framework-level controls
Deploy runtime application self-protection (RASP) solutions to detect authorization bypass attempts
Establish baseline access patterns and alert on deviations for protected resources

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-22223

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade Spring Security to version 6.4.4 or later where this issue has been addressed
Audit all method security annotations on parameterized types and generic methods
Temporarily move security annotations directly to target implementation methods as a workaround
Conduct security testing to verify authorization enforcement on all protected endpoints

Patch Information

Spring has released patches addressing this vulnerability. Organizations should upgrade to Spring Security version 6.4.4 or later. The official security advisory is available at the Spring Security CVE-2025-22223 page.

Workarounds

Disable method security temporarily using @EnableMethodSecurity(prePostEnabled = false) if not critical to operations
Relocate all security annotations from parameterized types directly to the concrete target methods
Implement additional authorization checks at the controller or service layer as defense in depth
Use URL-based security rules in SecurityFilterChain as an alternative to method-level annotations

bash

# Dependency update example for Maven
# Update Spring Security version in pom.xml
mvn versions:set-property -Dproperty=spring-security.version -DnewVersion=6.4.4
mvn clean install

# Verify the updated version
mvn dependency:tree | grep spring-security