CVE-2025-41254: Spring Framework Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-41254 Overview

A security bypass vulnerability exists in Spring Framework's STOMP over WebSocket implementation that allows an attacker to send unauthorized messages. This Cross-Site Request Forgery (CWE-352) vulnerability affects applications utilizing STOMP messaging over WebSocket connections, potentially enabling attackers to perform actions on behalf of authenticated users without proper authorization checks.

Critical Impact

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to send unauthorized STOMP messages through WebSocket connections, bypassing security controls and potentially executing unauthorized actions within affected applications.

Affected Products

• Spring Framework 6.2.0 - 6.2.11
• Spring Framework 6.1.0 - 6.1.23
• Spring Framework 6.0.x - 6.0.29
• Spring Framework 5.3.0 - 5.3.45
• Older, unsupported versions are also affected

Discovery Timeline

• Reported - Vulnerability discovered and responsibly reported by Jannis Kaiser
• 2025-10-16 - CVE CVE-2025-41254 published to NVD
• 2025-10-16 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-41254

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from improper handling of cross-origin requests in Spring Framework's STOMP over WebSocket implementation. STOMP (Simple Text Oriented Messaging Protocol) is commonly used for real-time messaging in web applications, running over WebSocket connections for bidirectional communication.

The flaw allows attackers to craft malicious requests that bypass the expected security controls, enabling unauthorized message transmission through the WebSocket channel. The vulnerability requires user interaction, such as visiting a malicious web page, which then exploits the established WebSocket connection.

The impact is limited to integrity concerns—attackers cannot read sensitive data but can modify or inject messages into the STOMP messaging flow. This could lead to unauthorized actions being performed within the application context depending on how STOMP messaging is implemented.

Root Cause

The vulnerability is classified as CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery), indicating that the STOMP over WebSocket implementation lacks sufficient protections against cross-origin attacks. The security bypass occurs because the framework does not adequately validate the origin of incoming STOMP messages, allowing external sites to forge requests on behalf of authenticated users.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based and requires user interaction. An attacker must entice a victim who has an active session with the vulnerable application to visit a malicious website. The malicious site can then leverage the victim's authenticated session to send STOMP messages through the WebSocket connection without proper authorization.

The attack flow involves:

1. The victim authenticates to an application using Spring Framework's STOMP over WebSocket
2. The victim navigates to an attacker-controlled website while maintaining their session
3. The malicious site initiates a cross-origin WebSocket connection or crafts requests that exploit the existing session
4. Unauthorized STOMP messages are sent on behalf of the victim

For technical details on this vulnerability mechanism, refer to the Spring Security Advisory for CVE-2025-41254.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-41254

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected STOMP messages originating from unusual client IPs or geographic locations
• WebSocket connection patterns showing cross-origin requests from untrusted domains
• Application logs indicating message operations that don't correlate with legitimate user activity
• Anomalous messaging patterns during user sessions that involve external site visits

Detection Strategies

• Implement logging for all STOMP message operations including source origin headers
• Monitor WebSocket connections for cross-origin requests from untrusted domains
• Deploy application-level intrusion detection to identify unusual messaging patterns
• Review authentication and authorization logs for discrepancies between user actions and STOMP operations

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for Spring WebSocket and STOMP messaging components
• Implement real-time alerting for STOMP messages with suspicious origin patterns
• Monitor application behavior for unauthorized state changes that could result from forged messages
• Track WebSocket session activity and correlate with user interaction patterns

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-41254

Immediate Actions Required

• Identify all applications using Spring Framework STOMP over WebSocket functionality
• Upgrade to the patched version appropriate for your Spring Framework branch
• Review application logs for any evidence of exploitation attempts
• Consider implementing additional origin validation as a defense-in-depth measure

Patch Information

Users of affected versions should upgrade to the corresponding fixed version:

No further mitigation steps are necessary after applying the appropriate patch. For commercial support options, visit the Spring Enterprise page.

Workarounds

• Implement strict CORS policies to limit cross-origin WebSocket connections
• Add application-level origin validation for incoming STOMP messages
• Consider implementing CSRF tokens for WebSocket handshake operations
• Limit STOMP endpoint exposure to trusted origins only through configuration

# Example: Verify Spring Framework version in Maven projects
mvn dependency:tree | grep spring-framework
# or for Gradle projects
gradle dependencies | grep spring-framework

# Update pom.xml to use patched version (for 6.2.x)
# <spring.framework.version>6.2.12</spring.framework.version>