[SECURITY] Request: Upgrade Spring Framework 6.1.x to 6.2.x (EOL) #6935

Security Request: Spring Framework 6.2.x Upgrade

Requested By: Alliance project (codice/alliance)
Issue: Spring 6.1.x is End-of-Life, security fixes only in 6.2.x
Alliance Tracking: montge/alliance#58

Problem

Spring Framework 6.1.x OSS support has ended. Security vulnerabilities in 6.1.x are only fixed in commercial releases (6.1.23+), not open-source versions.

Current DDF Version: Spring 6.1.21 (via ddf-parent POM)
EOL Status: 6.1.x no longer receives OSS security patches
Recommended: Upgrade to 6.2.12+ (actively supported OSS)

Security Impact

CVEs Fixed in 6.2.x (not available in 6.1.x OSS):

• CVE-2025-41249 (CVSS 8.1): Security annotation bypass
• CVE-2025-41254 (CVSS 7.5): STOMP CSRF vulnerability

Risk for 6.1.21 Users:

• Missing security patches for future vulnerabilities
• No OSS updates available (must upgrade to 6.2.x)
• Commercial support only for 6.1.23+

Upgrade Path

Option A: Spring 6.2.12 (RECOMMENDED)

• Latest 6.2.x stable release
• Active OSS security support
• Moderate API changes from 6.1.x
• Estimated effort: 20-40 hours (DDF + Alliance testing)

Option B: Spring 6.3.x

• Cutting edge, may have instability
• Not recommended for production

DDF Impact

Affected Modules:

• ddf.platform.util:platform-util
• All modules using Spring (dependency injection, web MVC, etc.)

Testing Required:

• DDF platform module tests
• Spring bean wiring validation
• Security configuration verification
• Integration tests for all DDF applications

Alliance Coordination

Alliance is willing to:

1. Test Spring 6.2.12 compatibility with Alliance modules
2. Report any breaking changes found
3. Contribute fixes if needed
4. Coordinate release timing

Request

Could the DDF team:

1. Review Spring 6.1.x EOL status
2. Plan upgrade to 6.2.12+
3. Provide timeline for DDF release with updated Spring
4. Coordinate with downstream applications (Alliance, others)

Thank you for maintaining DDF!

References:

• Spring 6.2 Release Notes: https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework/releases
• Alliance Issue: [SECURITY] Upgrade Spring Framework to 6.2.12 (EOL 6.1.x) montge/alliance#58
• Phase 3C Tracking: [Tracking] Phase 3C Security Remediation - Current Status montge/alliance#50