# CVE-2026-22747: VMware Spring Security user impersonation in SubjectX500PrincipalExtractor

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-22747-vmware-spring-security-user-impersonation-in  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-04-22. Updated: 2026-06-30  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-22747 · Severity: medium · CVSS 6.8 · Published 2026-04-22

Spring Security, a widely used framework for securing Java applications, contains a vulnerability in how it processes digital certificates. An attacker can use a specially crafted certificate with a malformed Common Name (CN) to trick the system into identifying them as a different user. This could allow an unauthorized person to impersonate legitimate users and gain access to sensitive data or administrative functions.

Technologies: [org.springframework.security:spring-security-web (Maven)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/org-springframework-security-spring-security-web), [VMware Spring Security](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/spring-security). Vendors: [Maven](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/maven), [VMware](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/vmware).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-22747 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-22747 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-22747?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 6.8, published 22 April 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** org.springframework.security:spring-security-web (Maven) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=7.0.0,fixed=7.0.5; VMware Spring Security 7.0.0 through 7.0.4.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-22747?** Yes. org.springframework.security:spring-security-web (Maven): upgrade to 7.0.5 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-22747 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-22747?** Check whether you run org.springframework.security:spring-security-web (Maven) or VMware Spring Security 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.

## How to fix

- org.springframework.security:spring-security-web (Maven): upgrade to 7.0.5 or later

  ```sh
  # set org.springframework.security:spring-security-web to 7.0.5 in your pom.xml or build.gradle
  ```


## Technical details

A vulnerability exists in Spring Security's SubjectX500PrincipalExtractor component due to improper validation of X.509 certificate Common Name (CN) values. When processing a certificate with a specifically malformed CN, the extractor may return an incorrect username, leading to authentication bypass via user impersonation. The attack requires the ability to present a crafted certificate to the application, typically in environments using X.509-based authentication. This issue affects versions 7.0.0 through 7.0.4 and is addressed in version 7.0.5. CVSS scores vary between 6.8 (Medium) and 8.1 (High) depending on the assumed attack complexity.

## Affected products

- VMware Spring Security 7.0.0 through 7.0.4

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-22747
- GHSA-2jrg-rf5x-568g

## Timeline

- 2026-04-22: disclosed: Initial vulnerability report and publication
- 2026-04-22: advisory: Vendor advisory published by VMware/Spring

## References

- [https://spring.io/security/cve-2026-22747](https://spring.io/security/cve-2026-22747)
- [https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-22747](https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-22747)
- [https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2460487](https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2460487)
- [https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-22747.json](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-22747.json)

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