The Security Risks of Staying on Spring Boot 2.7 and Spring Framework 5

Spring Boot and Spring Framework have played a crucial role in modern Java development, powering enterprise applications, microservices, and cloud-native architectures. Spring Boot simplifies configuration and deployment, while Spring Framework provides the core programming and configuration model that underpins many Java applications.

However, like all software, these frameworks must evolve to address security vulnerabilities and maintain compatibility with newer technologies. Now that Spring Boot 2.7 and Spring Framework 5 have reached end of life (EOL), applications still running on these versions are at risk of security threats with no future updates from the open-source community.

The End of Life for Spring Boot 2.7 and Spring Framework 5

Spring Boot 2.7 reached its end of life in November 2023, while Spring Framework 5 followed in August 2024. With these versions now unsupported, any new vulnerabilities discovered will not receive patches in the open-source project. This creates significant security concerns for organizations that continue to use these versions in production.

While upgrading to newer versions—such as Spring Boot 3.x and Spring Framework 6—is the recommended path, migration challenges, dependency constraints, and business priorities often delay the process. This delay, however, does not stop security threats from emerging.

Security Vulnerabilities Discovered Post-End of Life

Since reaching EOL, multiple security vulnerabilities have been identified in Spring Boot 2.7 and Spring Framework 5, making unsupported applications an attractive target for attackers. Below are some of the most critical vulnerabilities:

Spring Framework Vulnerabilities:

• CVE-2024-38816: Memory corruption issue that can lead to crashes and potential code execution.
• CVE-2024-38819: Path traversal vulnerability allowing unauthorized access to sensitive files.
• CVE-2024-38821: Authentication bypass vulnerability affecting role-based access control mechanisms.
• CVE-2024-38820: Deserialization flaw enabling remote code execution.
• CVE-2024-38828: Information disclosure vulnerability leading to potential data leaks.

Spring Boot Vulnerabilities:

• CVE-2024-38807: A security weakness in the spring-boot-loader that may allow malicious modifications to the application packaging and execution.

Spring Security Vulnerabilities:

• CVE-2024-38827: Broken access control vulnerability allowing privilege escalation.
• CVE-2024-38829: Session fixation vulnerability that could allow an attacker to hijack authenticated sessions.

The Risks of Running Unsupported Versions

If your organization is still using Spring Boot 2.7 or Spring Framework 5, you face critical security risks:

• Data breaches from unpatched vulnerabilities exposing sensitive business or customer data.
• Remote code execution (RCE) attacks, enabling attackers to gain full control over systems.
• Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks, potentially taking down services and disrupting operations.
• Regulatory compliance violations, particularly for industries subject to security and privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS).

Without continued security patches, organizations must rely on workarounds and compensating controls—both of which introduce operational complexity and do not fully eliminate the risk.

How HeroDevs Can Help

Migrating to supported versions of Spring Boot and Spring Framework is the best long-term solution, but for organizations that need more time, HeroDevs provides commercial support for end-of-life software frameworks. Our services include:

• Security patching to protect against newly discovered vulnerabilities.
• Compliance support to ensure regulatory requirements are met.
• Expert guidance to assist in long-term migration planning while maintaining security.

Conclusion

With Spring Boot 2.7 and Spring Framework 5 now officially end of life, continuing to use these frameworks without proper security measures poses a significant risk. Organizations should prioritize upgrading, but for those needing time to transition, HeroDevs can provide the security and support needed to keep applications protected until migration is complete.

Don't wait for a security breach to force an upgrade—contact HeroDevs today to ensure your applications remain secure.