CVE-2023-34034
Vmware Spring Security 5.6.0 – 5.6.12
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:NSummary
CVE-2023-34034 is a critical-severity Improper Preservation of Permissions (CWE-281) vulnerability in Vmware Spring Security. Its CVSS base score is 9.1 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Data from Local System (T1005); ranked in the top 10% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
The vulnerability CVE-2023-34034 stems from a pattern-matching mismatch in Spring Security when the "**" wildcard is used in WebFlux configurations, allowing Spring Security rules to diverge from Spring WebFlux request handling and creating conditions for a security bypass. The affected component is Spring Security integrated with WebFlux, and the issue received a CVSS 9.1 rating reflecting network-accessible attack conditions without authentication requirements.
An unauthenticated remote attacker can supply crafted requests that evade intended access-control patterns, achieving unauthorized access that impacts confidentiality and integrity while leaving availability unaffected.
Spring and NetApp advisories reference the issue at the provided URLs and outline available updates or configuration changes for remediation.
The associated EPSS score reached a peak of 0.5102 after initial disclosure before receding to the current value of 0.4282.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-1939
Vulnerability Data
Using "**" as a pattern in Spring Security configuration for WebFlux creates a mismatch in pattern matching between Spring Security and Spring WebFlux, and the potential for a security bypass.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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- 8 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
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Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Forces removal or modification of permissions no longer required after reassignment, preventing improper preservation of old access rights.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Enforcing least-privilege permission policies and reviews directly prevents incorrect permission propagation on copy/restore/share operations.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Access-control policy defines how permissions must be preserved when objects are copied or shared.
Access-rights provisioning and review processes directly address the risk of overly permissive copied objects.
Privileged-access management includes rules for maintaining correct permissions on copied or restored data.
Information-access-restriction controls enforce least-privilege permissions that must be preserved during copy/restore operations.
Change-management procedures can require verification that permissions remain intact after modifications or restores.
Configuration baselines can embed permission settings, indirectly reducing the chance of incorrect preservation.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).
Windows Server 2019 (1 rule)
- V-205743 Windows Server 2019 organization created Active Directory Organizational Unit (OU) objects must have proper access control permissions. prevents CWE-281
Windows Server 2022 (2 rules)
- V-254393 Windows Server 2022 Active Directory Group Policy objects must have proper access control permissions. prevents CWE-281
- V-254395 Windows Server 2022 organization created Active Directory Organizational Unit (OU) objects must have proper access control permissions. prevents CWE-281