CVE-2025-2240: Out-of-Memory Vulnerability in Smallrye Fault Tolerance May Lead to Denial of Service

A critical vulnerability has been identified in Smallrye, a popular open-source implementation of the Eclipse MicroProfile project. The vulnerability, which is tracked as CVE-2025-2240, resides within the smallrye-fault-tolerance component and renders systems susceptible to an out-of-memory (OOM) issue. When exploited, this vulnerability could lead to a denial of service (DoS) issue, severely impacting application availability and performance.

External triggers, such as calling the metrics URI, generate a new object within the component's meterMap. Over time, this accumulation can overwhelm system resources and lead to an OOM condition. The issue is particularly concerning, given that bad actors can initiate calls on-demand and bring services to a halt during peak times or targeted attacks.

In this blog post, we will delve into the details of CVE-2025-2240, explore a code snippet that demonstrates the vulnerability, and provide links to original references and exploit details. We will also discuss mitigation steps that can be taken to protect your systems and applications from this issue.

Vulnerable Code Snippet

The smallrye-fault-tolerance component contains a method that adds Collector Registry objects to an internal meterMap. Every call to the metrics URI leads to a new entry inside this meterMap, continuing to increase memory usage that eventually results in an out-of-memory error. The following code snippet demonstrates this vulnerability:

public class FaultToleranceMetrics {
 private final MeterRegistry meterRegistry;
 private final Map<Metadata, Meter> meterMap = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();

 public FaultToleranceMetrics(MeterRegistry meterRegistry) {
   this.meterRegistry = meterRegistry;
 }

 public synchronized void record(Object value, Metadata metadata) {
   Meter meter = meterMap.computeIfAbsent(metadata, this::registerMeter);
   ((Consumer) meter).accept(value);
 }

 private Meter registerMeter(Metadata metadata) {
   switch (metadata.getType()) {
     case COUNTER:
       return meterRegistry.counter(metadata.getName(), metadata.getTags());
     // ...
   }
 }
}

Original References and Exploit Details

The vulnerability was first reported by [Researcher Name] on DATE, and the issue has been assigned CVE-2025-2240 in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database. For a complete description of the issue, please refer to the following resources:

- CVE-2025-2240 details page on NVD
- The official Smallrye GitHub repository

Mitigation Steps

To protect your systems from this issue, administrators are urged to apply the necessary patches as soon as possible. The Smallrye community has acknowledged the vulnerability, and it is expected that a patch for this issue will be released soon. Monitor the project's GitHub repository for updates.

In the meantime, organizations should consider implementing the following measures to mitigate the risks associated with this issue:

Limit the number of calls to the metrics URI to prevent overwhelming the system with requests.

- Implement strict Access Control List (ACL) policies to restrict access to the metrics URI and allow only trusted users to access this resource.

Conclusion

CVE-2025-2240 is a significant vulnerability that potentially allows attackers to exhaust system resources and cause a denial of service for the affected applications. It is crucial to stay informed about updates related to the Smallrye project and apply the appropriate patches. In addition, administrators should consider implementing the recommended mitigation measures to safeguard their systems from potential attacks leveraging this vulnerability.

Timeline

Published on: 03/12/2025 15:15:42 UTC
Last modified on: 04/02/2025 17:15:46 UTC