CVE-2026-40972
Received Received - Intake
Timing Attack in Spring Boot DevTools Enables Remote Code Execution

Publication date: 2026-04-28

Last updated on: 2026-04-30

Assigner: VMware

Description
An attacker on the same network as the remote application may be able to utilize a timing attack to discover information about the remote secret. In extreme circumstances this could result in the attacker determining the secret and uploading changed classes, thereby achieving remote code execution in the remote application. Affected: Spring Boot 4.0.0–4.0.5 (fix 4.0.6), 3.5.0–3.5.13 (fix 3.5.14), 3.4.0–3.4.15 (fix 3.4.16), 3.3.0–3.3.18 (fix 3.3.19), 2.7.0–2.7.32 (fix 2.7.33); DevTools remote secret comparison. Versions that are no longer supported are also affected per vendor advisory.
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Meta Information
Published
2026-04-28
Last Modified
2026-04-30
Generated
2026-06-16
AI Q&A
2026-04-28
EPSS Evaluated
2026-06-14
NVD
CVE-2026-40972
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 5 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
vmware spring_boot From 4.0.0 (inc) to 4.0.6 (exc)
vmware spring_boot From 3.3.0 (inc) to 3.3.19 (exc)
vmware spring_boot From 3.4.0 (inc) to 3.4.16 (exc)
vmware spring_boot From 3.5.0 (inc) to 3.5.14 (exc)
vmware spring_boot to 2.7.33 (exc)
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-208 Two separate operations in a product require different amounts of time to complete, in a way that is observable to an actor and reveals security-relevant information about the state of the product, such as whether a particular operation was successful or not.
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Executive Summary

CVE-2026-40972 is a high-severity vulnerability in Spring DevTools related to the remote secret comparison mechanism.

An attacker on the same network as the remote application can exploit a timing attack by measuring how long it takes to compare secrets.

This timing information can reveal details about the secret, and in extreme cases, the attacker can fully determine the secret.

With the secret, the attacker can upload modified classes to the remote application, potentially achieving remote code execution.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can have severe impacts including unauthorized remote code execution on the affected application.

An attacker who exploits this vulnerability can compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the application.

  • Confidentiality impact: The attacker can discover sensitive secret information.
  • Integrity impact: The attacker can upload and execute modified classes, altering application behavior.
  • Availability impact: The attacker could disrupt the application by executing arbitrary code.
Mitigation Strategies

The immediate step to mitigate this vulnerability is to upgrade the affected Spring Boot versions to their respective fixed versions.

  • Upgrade Spring Boot 4.0.x to version 4.0.6 or later.
  • Upgrade Spring Boot 3.5.x to version 3.5.14 or later.
  • Upgrade Spring Boot 3.4.x to version 3.4.16 or later (Enterprise Support Only).
  • Upgrade Spring Boot 3.3.x to version 3.3.19 or later (Enterprise Support Only).
  • Upgrade Spring Boot 2.7.x to version 2.7.33 or later (Enterprise Support Only).

No other mitigation steps are necessary beyond upgrading to these fixed versions.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows an attacker on the same network to potentially discover sensitive secrets through a timing attack, which in extreme cases can lead to remote code execution. Such unauthorized access and control over the application could result in exposure or manipulation of sensitive data.

Because of the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, this vulnerability could lead to non-compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR and HIPAA, which require safeguarding sensitive information and ensuring system integrity and availability.

Organizations using affected versions of Spring Boot should upgrade to fixed versions to mitigate this risk and maintain compliance with these standards.

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