What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-41729?

CVE-2026-41729 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.1 (High). CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N. EPSS exploitation probability: 0.0%.

Which versions of Spring Data REST are affected by CVE-2026-41729?

Spring Data REST versions 3.7.0 through 5.0.5 contain a Server-Side Expression Language injection flaw enabling authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code via JSON Patch requests.. A patch is available.

How to fix or mitigate CVE-2026-41729?

Within 24 hours: Identify all production systems running Spring Data REST 3.7.0-5.0.5; document REST repositories accepting JSON Patch requests (application/json-patch+json). Within 7 days: Disable JSON Patch request handling if not operationally required; implement input validation rejecting payloads with expression language syntax; configure WAF rules to block suspicious Patch requests. Within 30 days: Monitor vendor advisories for patch availability; prepare upgrade plan to non-vulnerable versions once patches are released; test thoroughly in staging before production deployment.

Spring Data REST CVE-2026-41729

EUVD-2026-35906 HIGH

Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an Expression Language Statement (CWE-917)

2026-06-10 security@vmware.com

GHSA-j388-8rm5-p97f

Code Injection Java Spring Data Rest

8.1

CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: vmware

Severity by source

Vendor (vmware) PRIMARY

8.1 HIGH

AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

Primary rating from Vendor (vmware) · only source for this CVE.

CVSS VectorVendor: vmware

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

Attack Vector

Network

Attack Complexity

Low

Privileges Required

Low

User Interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

None

Lifecycle Timeline

Patch available

Jun 10, 2026 - 02:01 EUVD

Analysis Generated

Jun 10, 2026 - 00:34 vuln.today

DescriptionCVE.org

Spring Data REST is vulnerable to SpEL expression injection through map-typed properties when processing JSON Patch (application/json-patch+json) requests. When a persistent entity exposes a Map-typed property, the JSON Pointer path segment used as the map key is embedded directly into a SpEL expression without sanitization or validation.

Affected versions: Spring Data REST 3.7.0 through 3.7.19; 4.3.0 through 4.3.16; 4.4.0 through 4.4.14; 4.5.0 through 4.5.11; 5.0.0 through 5.0.5.

AnalysisAI

Server-Side Expression Language (SpEL) injection in Spring Data REST allows authenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary expressions by sending JSON Patch requests targeting Map-typed entity properties. Affected versions span 3.7.0 through 5.0.5, and successful exploitation yields high confidentiality and integrity impact (CVSS 8.1). No public exploit identified at time of analysis, but the low attack complexity and network reachability make this a credible threat to any exposed REST repository accepting application/json-patch+json.

Technical ContextAI

Spring Data REST automatically exposes Spring Data repositories as hypermedia-driven HTTP resources and supports JSON Patch (RFC 6902) over the application/json-patch+json content type to mutate persistent entities. When the underlying entity declares a Map-typed property, the framework uses Spring's Expression Language (SpEL) to navigate to the target element, and the JSON Pointer path segment supplied by the client is interpolated directly into the SpEL expression. This matches CWE-917 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an Expression Language Statement), the same root-cause class behind prior Spring SpEL RCE incidents such as CVE-2022-22963 and CVE-2018-1273, where untrusted input reaches SpEL evaluation without sanitization or use of a restricted SimpleEvaluationContext.

RemediationAI

Upgrade Spring Data REST to a fixed maintenance release above the listed ranges - patch available per vendor advisory at https://spring.io/security/cve-2026-41729; consult that advisory for the exact fixed version corresponding to your branch (3.7.x, 4.3.x, 4.4.x, 4.5.x, or 5.0.x) since no specific fixed version was independently confirmed in the data provided. If patching cannot be done immediately, compensating controls include rejecting or stripping the application/json-patch+json content type at an upstream proxy or WAF for endpoints backed by repositories that expose Map-typed properties (side effect: clients lose JSON Patch semantics and must fall back to PUT/PATCH with merge-patch), restricting REST repository access to authenticated administrative roles only via Spring Security method/URL rules (side effect: breaks any legitimate low-privilege REST API consumers), or refactoring affected entities to remove Map-typed properties from the exposed projection using @RestResource(exported = false) or DTO projections (side effect: API contract change for clients depending on those fields).