# CVE-2026-22731: VMware Spring Boot authentication bypass in Actuator Health groups

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-22731-vmware-spring-boot-authentication-bypass-in-actuator-health  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-03-20. Updated: 2026-05-11  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-22731 · Severity: high · CVSS 8.2 · Published 2026-03-20

Spring Boot is a popular framework used to build Java-based web applications. A security flaw in its Actuator component—a tool used for monitoring application health—could allow unauthorized users to access protected parts of an application without logging in. This could lead to the exposure of sensitive internal data or unauthorized access to administrative functions.

Technologies: [VMware Spring Boot](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/spring-boot). Vendors: [Maven](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/maven), [VMware](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/vmware).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-22731 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-22731 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-22731?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 8.2, published 20 March 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator (Maven) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=3.4.0,last_affected=3.4.13; VMware Spring Boot 4.0.0-M1 to 4.0.3, 3.5.0 to 3.5.11, 3.4.0 to 3.4.14.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-22731?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-22731 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-22731?** Check whether you run org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator (Maven) or VMware Spring Boot at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

An authentication bypass vulnerability exists in Spring Boot Actuator (CWE-288, CWE-306). The issue occurs when an application endpoint requiring authentication is declared under a specific path that has already been configured as an additional path for a Health Group. Because Health Groups may have different security constraints, an attacker can reach the protected endpoint via the alternate health path without providing credentials. This allows for unauthorized network-based access to sensitive application data. The vulnerability is patched in versions 3.5.12 and 4.0.4.

## Affected products

- VMware Spring Boot 4.0.0-M1 to 4.0.3, 3.5.0 to 3.5.11, 3.4.0 to 3.4.14

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-22731
- GHSA-8hfc-fq58-r658

## Timeline

- 2026-03-19: advisory: NVD Published Date
- 2026-03-20: disclosed: GitHub Advisory published
- 2026-04-16: other: Last updated

## References

- [https://spring.io/security/cve-2026-22731](https://spring.io/security/cve-2026-22731)

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