Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Spring Cloud Config servers using Google Secret Manager can be tricked into returning secrets from unintended Google Cloud projects. This is a confidentiality-only issue, but it can expose high-value credentials without authentication, depending on deployment.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation for internet-accessible or broadly reachable config servers because exposed secrets can enable downstream compromise. This is high urgency where Google Cloud secrets include production credentials, tokens, or service-account material.
Technical view
CVE-2026-40981 affects Spring Cloud Config when Google Secrets Manager is configured as a backend. A crafted client request may bypass intended project boundaries and expose secrets from unintended GCP projects. CVSS 3.1 is 7.5, network-accessible, low complexity, no privileges or user interaction, confidentiality high.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely limited to organizations running Spring Cloud Config with the Google Secret Manager backend. Affected branches are 3.1.x, 4.1.x, 4.2.x, 4.3.x, and 5.0.x within the listed vulnerable ranges.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or confirmed active exploitation. The attack surface is any reachable vulnerable config server that accepts client requests and can access Google Secret Manager projects.
Researcher notes
Relevant weaknesses are CWE-1220 and CWE-639, indicating improper resource identity handling or authorization boundary issues. Available evidence identifies affected and fixed versions, but the bundle does not include proof-of-concept details or confirmed exploitation.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory Spring Cloud Config servers using the Google Secret Manager backend.
- Upgrade 4.3.x to 4.3.3 or later, and 5.0.x to 5.0.3 or later.
- For 3.1.x, 4.1.x, and 4.2.x, use the listed enterprise-support-only fixed releases.
- Check Spring vendor guidance before relying on compensating controls.
- Review exposed secrets and rotate credentials if unintended disclosure is suspected.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether Spring Cloud Config is deployed in the environment.
- Check whether Google Secret Manager is configured as a backend.
- Compare deployed versions against the affected version ranges.
- Verify upgraded deployments report the fixed Spring Cloud Config version.
- Review config-server access logs for unusual project or application-name requests.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-1220: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCWE-639: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2026-40981 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.5 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
2 official scoresWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N3.93.6vmwareCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N3.93.6redhat-SADPVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.5HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.5HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- ADP timelineredhat-SADP
Made public.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- ADP timelineredhat-SADP
Reported to Red Hat.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
- 2026-05-07T05:01:29.073Z: Reported to Red Hat.
- 2026-05-07T03:55:43.600Z: Made public.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://spring.io/security/cve-2026-40981CVE reference, vmware
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-40981CVE reference, redhat-SADP · vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT
- RHBZ#2467621CVE reference, redhat-SADP · issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT
- https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-40981.jsonCVE reference, redhat-SADP · x_sadp-csaf-vex
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Insufficient Granularity of Access Control
Insufficient Granularity of Access Control represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.
Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key
Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.