# CVE-2026-41851: VMware Spring Framework denial of service in SpEL expression evaluation

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-41851-vmware-spring-framework-denial-of-service-in-spel-expression  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-06-09. Updated: 2026-07-30  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-41851 · Severity: medium · CVSS 5.3 · Published 2026-06-09

Spring Framework is a widely used software framework for building Java applications. A vulnerability in its expression language component allows an attacker to cause a denial-of-service condition by sending specially crafted inputs. This can lead to excessive memory consumption, potentially causing the application to slow down or crash, impacting business operations and service availability.

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

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-41851 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-41851 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-41851?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 5.3, published 9 June 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** org.springframework:spring-expression (Maven) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=7.0.0,fixed=7.0.8; VMware Spring Framework 7.0.0 through 7.0.7; 6.2.0 through 6.2.18; 6.1.0 through 6.1.27; 5.3.0 through 5.3.48, 7.0.0 to 7.0.7, 6.2.0 to 6.2.18, 6.1.0 to 6.1.27, 5.3.0 to 5.3.48.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-41851?** Yes. org.springframework:spring-expression (Maven): upgrade to 7.0.8 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-41851 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-41851?** Check whether you run org.springframework:spring-expression (Maven) or VMware Spring Framework 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:spring-expression (Maven): upgrade to 7.0.8 or later

  ```sh
  # set org.springframework:spring-expression to 7.0.8 in your pom.xml or build.gradle
  ```


## Technical details

A resource exhaustion vulnerability (CWE-770) exists in the Spring Expression Language (SpEL) component of the Spring Framework. When an application evaluates user-provided SpEL expressions, certain inputs can trigger unbounded growth in internal caches used during evaluation. A remote, unauthenticated attacker can exploit this over the network to consume excessive system memory, leading to a Denial of Service (DoS). The issue is addressed in Spring Framework versions 7.0.8 and 6.2.19; users on older branches should update to the latest maintenance releases.

## Affected products

- VMware Spring Framework 7.0.0 to 7.0.7, 6.2.0 to 6.2.18, 6.1.0 to 6.1.27, 5.3.0 to 5.3.48

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-41851
- GHSA-wxpp-56q6-5pcg

## Timeline

- 2026-06-09: disclosed
- 2026-06-09: advisory
- 2026-07-30: patched: Updated advisory with patch information

## References

- [https://spring.io/security/cve-2026-41851](https://spring.io/security/cve-2026-41851)
- [https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework/commit/2c18c33ce0f89bf718c184190cfb7ed49b4276fb](https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework/commit/2c18c33ce0f89bf718c184190cfb7ed49b4276fb)
- [https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework/commit/76a36dfd707cddbe7118a81c2e055b36501d2cff](https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework/commit/76a36dfd707cddbe7118a81c2e055b36501d2cff)
- [https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework/releases/tag/v6.2.19](https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework/releases/tag/v6.2.19)
- [https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework/releases/tag/v7.0.8](https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework/releases/tag/v7.0.8)

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