CVE-2024-36401

OSGeo GeoServer ships the GeoTools library, which evaluates feature property names directly as XPath expressions without proper neutralization (CWE-95), so attacker-supplied input is executed as code rather than treated as data. A remote, unauthenticated attacker triggers the flaw by sending specially crafted requests to a GeoServer service, causing the injected expression to be evaluated in the server's context. Successful exploitation results in remote code execution on the host running GeoServer, giving the attacker control over the mapping server and any data or credentials it can reach. Any organization running GeoServer is affected, and the underlying GeoTools flaw also extends to dependent applications such as GeoNetwork, which shipped its own fix for an unauthenticated RCE chain affecting government geoportal backends. The flaw is being actively exploited: it was added to CISA KEV on 2024-07-15, and EPSS assigns a 99.8% probability of exploitation within 30 days.

What to do: Upgrade GeoServer to the fixed releases identified in the OSGeo advisory (2.23.6, 2.24.4 or 2.25.2, or later); where upgrading is not immediately possible, restrict access to GeoServer's public endpoints per vendor mitigations or discontinue use of the product per the KEV required action. Organizations running GeoNetwork or other GeoTools-based applications should apply those vendors' fixes as well. Given active exploitation, hunt for signs of compromise such as unexpected child processes spawned by the GeoServer Java process, new files or services on the host, and unusual map/feature service request patterns.