CVE-2025-46822: Java Spring Boot Path Traversal Flaw

CVE-2025-46822 Overview

CVE-2025-46822 is a path traversal vulnerability affecting OsamaTaher/Java-springboot-codebase, a collection of Java and Spring Boot code snippets, applications, and projects. Prior to commit c835c6f7799eacada4c0fc77e0816f250af01ad2, insufficient path traversal validation mechanisms make absolute path traversal possible. This vulnerability allows unauthorized access to sensitive internal files, potentially exposing configuration data, credentials, and other sensitive information stored on the affected server.

Critical Impact

This path traversal vulnerability enables remote attackers to read arbitrary files from the server file system without authentication, potentially exposing sensitive configuration files, credentials, and application data.

Affected Products

• OsamaTaher/Java-springboot-codebase (versions prior to commit c835c6f7799eacada4c0fc77e0816f250af01ad2)
• Applications built using the vulnerable FileSystemStorageService implementation
• Spring Boot applications utilizing the affected file storage service

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-05-21 - CVE-2025-46822 published to NVD
• 2025-05-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-46822

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation in the file storage service component of the Java-springboot-codebase project. The FileSystemStorageService.java implementation failed to properly sanitize file path inputs, allowing attackers to use path traversal sequences to access files outside the intended directory scope. The flaw enables absolute path traversal attacks where an attacker can specify arbitrary file paths to read sensitive files from the server's file system.

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-36 (Absolute Path Traversal), which occurs when a product accepts input that uses an absolute path to identify a file or directory, but doesn't properly neutralize sequences such as .. or other path manipulation characters that could resolve to locations outside the intended boundary.

Root Cause

The root cause lies in the FileSystemStorageService.java file within the springboot/common-dynamic-management-services module. The file storage service implementation did not check filenames for special characters or path traversal sequences before processing file operations. Without proper input validation and path normalization, user-supplied file paths were processed directly, enabling attackers to traverse outside the application's designated file storage directory.

Attack Vector

This vulnerability is exploitable over the network without requiring authentication or user interaction. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests containing path traversal sequences (such as ../ or absolute paths like /etc/passwd) in file-related API endpoints. When the vulnerable FileSystemStorageService processes these requests, it follows the manipulated path and returns contents of files outside the intended storage directory.

Typical attack scenarios include:

• Reading application configuration files containing database credentials
• Accessing environment files with API keys and secrets
• Retrieving system files like /etc/passwd or /etc/shadow
• Exfiltrating source code or other sensitive application data

The security patch addresses this by implementing regex-based pattern validation to filter special characters from filenames:

import java.util.HashSet;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.UUID;
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
import java.util.stream.Stream;

import static common.management.common.util.DateTimeHelper.getCurrentDateTimeString;

Source: GitHub Commit

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-46822

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP requests containing path traversal sequences (../, ..%2f, ..%252f) in file-related parameters
• Access logs showing attempts to retrieve sensitive system files (/etc/passwd, /etc/shadow, configuration files)
• Unusual file access patterns from the Spring Boot application process
• Error logs indicating file access attempts outside designated storage directories

Detection Strategies

• Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block path traversal sequences in request parameters
• Monitor application logs for file access attempts targeting sensitive system paths
• Deploy runtime application self-protection (RASP) solutions to detect path traversal exploitation attempts
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common path traversal patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for file storage service operations to capture all file access requests
• Set up alerts for file access attempts outside the designated upload/storage directories
• Monitor for anomalous patterns in file retrieval API endpoints
• Implement file integrity monitoring on sensitive configuration files

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-46822

Immediate Actions Required

• Update to commit c835c6f7799eacada4c0fc77e0816f250af01ad2 or later immediately
• Audit application logs for signs of prior exploitation attempts
• Review and restrict file system permissions for the application service account
• Consider implementing additional input validation at the API gateway level

Patch Information

The vulnerability has been patched in commit c835c6f7799eacada4c0fc77e0816f250af01ad2. The fix implements regex-based pattern validation in the FileSystemStorageService.java file to check filenames for special characters before processing. Organizations using the Java-springboot-codebase should update to this commit or any subsequent version.

For detailed patch information, refer to the GitHub Security Advisory and the patch commit.

Workarounds

• Implement a reverse proxy with strict path validation rules to filter malicious requests
• Use a WAF configured to block common path traversal patterns
• Restrict the application's file system access using OS-level controls or containerization
• Implement custom input validation middleware to sanitize file path parameters before they reach the vulnerable component

# Example: Configure file system permissions to limit access scope
# Restrict the application user to only access the designated upload directory
chmod 700 /app/uploads
chown appuser:appgroup /app/uploads
# Use chroot or container isolation to limit file system visibility