CVE-2026-40977

Description

When an application is configured to use `ApplicationPidFileWriter`, a local attacker with write access to the PID file's location can corrupt one file on the host each time the application is started. Affected: Spring Boot 4.0.0–4.0.5 (fix 4.0.6), 3.5.0–3.5.13 (fix 3.5.14), 3.4.0–3.4.15 (fix 3.4.16), 3.3.0–3.3.18 (fix 3.3.19), 2.7.0–2.7.32 (fix 2.7.33); PID file / symlink behavior (`ApplicationPidFileWriter`). Versions that are no longer supported are also affected per vendor advisory.

CVSS v3.1 Score

4.7

MEDIUM

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

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0002

Probability of exploitation

0.05%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-59 CWE-59

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
vmware	spring_boot	< 2.7.33
vmware	spring_boot	3.3.0 — 3.3.19
vmware	spring_boot	3.4.0 — 3.4.16
vmware	spring_boot	3.5.0 — 3.5.14
vmware	spring_boot	4.0.0 — 4.0.6

References

Advisories & Patches

https://spring.io/security/cve-2026-40977

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-40977? +

When an application is configured to use `ApplicationPidFileWriter`, a local attacker with write access to the PID file's location can corrupt one file on the host each time the application is started. Affected: Spring Boot 4.0.0–4.0.5 (fix 4.0.6), 3.5.0–3.5.13 (fix 3.5.14), 3.4.0–3.4.15 (fix 3.4.16), 3.3.0–3.3.18 (fix 3.3.19), 2.7.0–2.7.32 (fix 2.7.33); PID file / symlink behavior (`ApplicationPidFileWriter`). Versions that are no longer supported are also affected per vendor advisory. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.7 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2026-40977? +

CVE-2026-40977 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 4.7 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance. The EPSS score is 0.0002, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-40977? +

CVE-2026-40977 affects products from vmware, specifically: spring_boot. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-40977? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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