CVE-2018-1196
The script included with Spring Boot 1.5.9 and earlier and 2.0.0.M1 through 2.0.0.M7 is susceptible to a symlink attack which allows the "run_user" to overwrite and take ownership of any file on the same system.
Does this matter?
Lower severity and a low EPSS score (1.21%). Track it; it rarely justifies an emergency change on its own.
Description
Spring Boot supports an embedded launch script that can be used to easily run the application as a systemd or init.d linux service. The script included with Spring Boot 1.5.9 and earlier and 2.0.0.M1 through 2.0.0.M7 is susceptible to a symlink attack which allows the "run_user" to overwrite and take ownership of any file on the same system. In order to instigate the attack, the application must be installed as a service and the "run_user" requires shell access to the server. Spring Boot application that are not installed as a service, or are not using the embedded launch script are not susceptible.
- CVSS 3.0
- 5.9 MEDIUMCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
- EPSS
- 1.21% probability · 68th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-59
- Affected
- vmware/spring boot
- Source
- security_alert@emc.com
EPSS 1.2% since 27 October 2026; no change recorded yet. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
References
- https://pivotal.io/security/cve-2018-1196Vendor Advisory
- https://pivotal.io/security/cve-2018-1196Vendor Advisory
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.