Review reviewHigh

CVE-2026-40998

Spring Spring Web Services

Jaxp13XPathTemplate evaluated XPath expressions for StreamSource and SAXSource inputs using a code path that parsed attacker-controlled XML with the JDK's default DocumentBuilderFactory behavior instead of Spring's hardened parser configuration. Applications that evaluate XPath against untrusted XML payloads could therefore be exposed to XML External Entity (XXE) style attacks. Affected versions: Spring Web Services 5.0.0 through 5.0.1; 4.1.0 through 4.1.3; 4.0.0 through 4.0.18; 3.1.0 through 3.1.8.

CVSS: 8.2
EPSS: 0.35%
CISA KEV: Not listed
Published: 2026.06.11

PRIORITY ASSESSMENT

Review review

The CVSS severity warrants an early asset and exposure review.

Known exploitationNot established by KEV

Exploit probability0.35%

Technical severityCVSS 8.2

Vulnerability overview

Affected product and versions

Product: Spring Spring Web Services
Affected versions: >= 5.0.0 < 5.0.1.1, >= 4.1.0 < 4.1.3.1, >= 4.0.0 < 4.0.19, >= 3.1.0 < 3.1.9
Fixed versions: No verified fixed-version field is available yet

Recommended response sequence

Confirm exposure before applying a vendor-supported change.

Full remediation guide

1
Identify
Confirm that Spring Spring Web Services and an affected version are present.
2
Prioritize
Combine exploitation signals with asset exposure and business criticality.
3
Remediate
Follow the vendor advisory or supported update path and preserve rollback options.
4
Verify
Recheck the version, service health, access paths, and relevant logs.

Technical data

CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N
CWE: CWE-611