CVE-2022-46166 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Spring Boot Admins integrated notifier support allows arbitrary code execution.

Understanding CVE-2022-46166

This CVE impacts Spring Boot Admin, an open-source administrative user interface used for managing Spring Boot applications.

What is CVE-2022-46166?

CVE-2022-46166 is categorized as CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection'). This vulnerability allows arbitrary code execution.

The Impact of CVE-2022-46166

The vulnerability in Spring Boot Admin affects all users running the Spring Boot Admin Server with enabled Notifiers and write access to environment variables via UI.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-46166

Spring Boot Admin versions prior to 2.6.10 are affected by this CVE.

Vulnerability Description

Users with write access to environment variables via the UI are at risk of arbitrary code execution due to improper control over code generation.

Affected Systems and Versions

Vendor: codecentric
Product: spring-boot-admin
Affected Versions: < 2.6.10

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by exploiting the integrated notifier support functionality in Spring Boot Admin.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2022-46166, users are recommended to take immediate steps and implement long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade to the latest releases of Spring Boot Admin versions 2.6.10 and 2.7.8 to mitigate the vulnerability. If upgrading is not possible, consider disabling notifiers or write access on the

/env

actuator endpoint.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch the Spring Boot Admin application to stay protected against known vulnerabilities.