CVE-2022-22965
CVE-2022-22965 is a security flaw in VMware Spring Framework, VMware’s software for running virtual machines in data centres. Attackers can run their own code on VMware Spring Framework. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 4 Apr 2022.[1]
VMware Spring Framework is business software or equipment. Most families won’t have it, but attackers break into it to get inside companies, and from there to what those companies hold about their customers, patients and staff. VMware has published a fix or advice.
Description
CISA calls it a JDK 9+ remote code execution in VMware Spring Framework. In its words: “Spring MVC or Spring WebFlux application running on JDK 9+ may be vulnerable to remote code execution (RCE) via data binding.”[1]
The CVE record adds: “A Spring MVC or Spring WebFlux application running on JDK 9+ may be vulnerable to remote code execution (RCE) via data binding. The specific exploit requires the application to run on Tomcat as a WAR deployment. If the application is deployed as a Spring Boot executable jar, i.e. the default, it is not vulnerable to the exploit. However, the nature of the vulnerability is more general, and there may be other ways to exploit it.”[2]
The underlying weakness is code injection (CWE-94), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.
It scores 9.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it critical, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; VMware’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as VMware Spring Framework.
Most families won’t have VMware Spring Framework; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 4 Apr 2022, 3 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 25 Apr 2022 to fix it.[1]
FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at over 99%. That’s in the top 1% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as automatable: attackers can run it against many targets at once.
CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.
Fix
VMware has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions.”[1]
- Check whether you use it.VMware Spring Framework is business software or equipment, so most families won’t have it. If you run a business, or work from home on company equipment, ask whoever looks after your IT.
- Send this page to your IT person.Ask them to confirm it’s fixed, or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 25 Apr 2022 to fix it.
- If it can’t be fixed, take it offline.CISA’s advice when there’s no fix is to stop using the product, or take it off the internet, until there is one.
You can’t fix someone else’s server, but you can watch for what follows a break-in like this: a breach notice, a password reset you didn’t ask for, or a scam message that knows things it shouldn’t. HARD watches for those for you and your family.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 9.8.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at over 99%.[4] |
See also
Other VMware flaws
- CVE-2025-22226, VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion: information disclosure ·
- CVE-2025-22225, VMware ESXi: arbitrary write ·
- CVE-2025-22224, VMware ESXi and Workstation: TOCTOU race condition ·
- CVE-2024-38813, VMware vCenter Server: privilege escalation ·
- CVE-2024-38812, VMware vCenter Server: heap-based buffer overflow ·
Other code injection flaws
- CVE-2026-0322, Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS: code injection ·
- CVE-2026-65660, Microsoft SharePoint: code injection ·
- CVE-2026-60004, Gitea: code injection ·
- CVE-2026-72530, TrueConf Server: code injection ·
- CVE-2025-62593, Ray-Project Ray: code injection ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2022-22675, Apple macOS: out-of-bounds write ·
- CVE-2022-22674, Apple macOS: out-of-bounds read ·
- CVE-2021-45382, D-Link Multiple Routers: remote code execution ·
Every VMware flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in April 2022
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Spring Framework JDK 9+ Remote Code Execution Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 4 Apr 2022.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2022-22965 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 1 Apr 2022.
- ^ VMware. Advisories and fixes: cert-portal.siemens.com, tanzu.vmware.com, oracle.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.996, percentile 100.0, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2022-22965”. The official CVE record.
This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.