CVE-2025-41249: Spring Framework Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-41249 Overview

CVE-2025-41249 is an authorization bypass vulnerability in the Spring Framework's annotation detection mechanism. The flaw occurs when the framework fails to correctly resolve annotations on methods within type hierarchies that contain a parameterized super type with unbounded generics. This can lead to security annotations being improperly evaluated, potentially allowing unauthorized access to protected resources.

Applications using Spring Security's @EnableMethodSecurity feature are particularly at risk, as security annotations on methods in generic superclasses or generic interfaces may not be properly enforced. This vulnerability can enable attackers to bypass intended authorization controls and access protected functionality or data.

Critical Impact

Authorization bypass in Spring Security method security annotations can allow unauthenticated or unauthorized users to access protected resources, potentially exposing sensitive data or functionality.

Affected Products

• Spring Framework applications using @EnableMethodSecurity
• Applications with security annotations on methods in generic superclasses
• Applications with security annotations on methods in generic interfaces

Discovery Timeline

• September 16, 2025 - CVE-2025-41249 published to NVD
• September 16, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-41249

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from CWE-285 (Improper Authorization). The Spring Framework's annotation detection mechanism is responsible for locating and processing security annotations such as @PreAuthorize, @PostAuthorize, @Secured, and similar method-level security controls. When these annotations are declared on methods within type hierarchies that utilize parameterized super types with unbounded generics, the detection mechanism may fail to properly resolve them.

The consequence is that security decisions based on these annotations may not be correctly enforced. For example, a method intended to require administrator privileges might become accessible to any authenticated user, or even to unauthenticated users, depending on the application's configuration.

This vulnerability is published in conjunction with CVE-2025-41248, suggesting a related set of issues within the Spring Security method security subsystem.

Root Cause

The root cause lies in how the Spring Framework's annotation introspection logic handles method resolution across complex type hierarchies. When a class or interface uses unbounded generic parameters (e.g., <T> without constraints), the reflection mechanisms may not correctly traverse the inheritance chain to locate annotations on overridden or implemented methods.

The annotation detection fails specifically in scenarios where:

1. A generic superclass or interface declares security annotations on methods
2. The generic type parameter is unbounded
3. A concrete subclass overrides or implements these methods

In these cases, the framework may not properly identify that the method is annotated with security constraints, leading to those constraints being silently ignored.

Attack Vector

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by targeting endpoints or methods that rely on annotation-based security in affected type hierarchies. The attack is network-accessible and requires no authentication or user interaction.

The exploitation scenario involves:

1. Identifying Spring applications using @EnableMethodSecurity with generic type hierarchies
2. Locating protected methods where annotations are not properly resolved
3. Directly invoking these methods, bypassing the intended authorization checks

Since this is an authorization bypass rather than a code execution vulnerability, the primary impact is unauthorized access to confidential information or protected operations. No proof-of-concept exploits are currently publicly available for this vulnerability.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-41249

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected access to protected endpoints by unauthorized users
• Authentication and authorization logs showing successful access without proper credentials
• Anomalous API calls to methods that should require elevated privileges
• Audit logs revealing access patterns inconsistent with user permission levels

Detection Strategies

• Review application code for security annotations on methods within generic superclasses or interfaces
• Implement comprehensive authorization logging to detect unauthorized access attempts
• Perform security testing specifically targeting method-level security in generic type hierarchies
• Monitor for unusual access patterns to sensitive endpoints

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed access logging for all methods annotated with security constraints
• Implement runtime authorization auditing to capture access decisions
• Set up alerts for access to sensitive resources from unexpected user roles
• Review Spring Security debug logs for annotation resolution issues

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-41249

Immediate Actions Required

• Audit your application for use of @EnableMethodSecurity with generic superclasses or interfaces
• Review all security annotations on methods within parameterized type hierarchies
• Consider moving security annotations to concrete implementation classes as a temporary workaround
• Apply vendor patches as soon as they become available

Patch Information

Spring has released a security advisory for this vulnerability. Organizations should consult the Spring Security Advisory for official patch information and updated framework versions. It is recommended to upgrade to the latest patched version of Spring Framework and Spring Security immediately.

Workarounds

• Move security annotations from generic superclasses/interfaces to concrete implementation classes
• Implement explicit authorization checks within method bodies as a supplementary control
• Use URL-based security configurations in Spring Security as an additional layer
• Consider implementing custom authorization filters for critical endpoints

# Example: Review your application for affected patterns
# Search for security annotations in generic classes
grep -r "@PreAuthorize\|@PostAuthorize\|@Secured\|@RolesAllowed" --include="*.java" | grep -i "abstract\|interface\|<T>"

# Verify Spring Security method security configuration
grep -r "@EnableMethodSecurity" --include="*.java"