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:

java

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

bash

# 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