GeoServer Vulnerability Targeted by Hackers to Deliver Backdoors and Botnet Malware
Vulnerabilities mentionedAll →
| CVE | Vulnerability | CVSS | EPSS | Flags | Affected | Exposure | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2021-20124 +1 in the same advisory: …20123 | Unauthenticated Path Traversal File Download in DrayTek VigorConnect CVE-2021-20124 is a path traversal (local file inclusion, CWE-22) flaw in the file download functionality of the WebServlet endpoint in DrayTek VigorConnect 1.6.0-B3, the vendor's on-premises centralized management software for Vigor networking equipment. Because the affected endpoint requires no authentication, any attacker who can reach the VigorConnect web interface over a network can send crafted requests that traverse outside the intended download directory. The VigorConnect service runs with root privileges on the underlying operating system, so an attacker can download arbitrary files with root-level access, potentially exposing credentials, configuration data, and other sensitive information on the management host. Any organization running DrayTek VigorConnect is affected, with the flaw confirmed in version 1.6.0-B3. The bug was publicly documented by Tenable (TRA-2021-42) in 2021 and was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2024-09-03 amid reports of active exploitation of DrayTek devices. Do: Upgrade DrayTek VigorConnect to a fixed release newer than 1.6.0-B3 per DrayTek's security guidance; if patching is delayed, restrict the VigorConnect web interface (WebServlet endpoint) to trusted management networks only. Because the flaw is on CISA's KEV catalog (added 2024-09-03) with active exploitation reported, review firewall and web-server logs for unauthenticated file-download requests against WebServlet, and rotate any credentials, keys, or configuration secrets stored on the management host that could have been exfiltrated. Organizations unable to obtain mitigations should consider discontinuing use of the product per CISA's required action. | 7.5 | 96% | KEV PoC |
| moderatelikely on the order of thousands of on-premises VigorConnect management-server deployments worldwide (estimate; no public install counts provided) | |
| CVE-2024-36401 | Unauthenticated RCE in OSGeo GeoServer via GeoTools XPath Injection 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. 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. | 9.8 | 100% | KEV PoC ×3 |
| largeTens of thousands of internet-exposed instances (roughly 20,000-40,000 GeoServer endpoints visible in public internet scans), with substantially more internal… |
Full article442 words · extracted from thehackernews.com · click to collapse
Ravie LakshmananSep 06, 2024Cryptocurrency / APT Attack
A recently disclosed security flaw in OSGeo GeoServer GeoTools has been exploited as part of multiple campaigns to deliver cryptocurrency miners, botnet malware such as Condi and JenX, and a known backdoor called SideWalk.
The security vulnerability is a critical remote code execution bug (CVE-2024-36401, CVSS score: 9.8) that could allow malicious actors to take over susceptible instances.
In mid-July, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, based on evidence of active exploitation. The Shadowserver Foundation said it detected exploitation attempts against its honeypot sensors starting July 9, 2024.
According to Fortinet FortiGuard Labs, the flaw has been observed being used to deliver GOREVERSE, a reverse proxy server designed to establish a connection with a command-and-control (C2) server for post-exploitation activity.
These attacks are said to target IT service providers in India, technology companies in the U.S., government entities in Belgium, and telecommunications companies in Thailand and Brazil.
The GeoServer server has also served as a conduit for Condi and a Mirai botnet variant dubbed JenX, and at least four types of cryptocurrency miners, one of which is retrieved from a fake website that impersonates the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).
Perhaps the most notable of the attack chains leveraging the flaw is the one that propagates an advanced Linux backdoor called SideWalk, which is attributed to a Chinese threat actor tracked as APT41.
The starting point is a shell script that's responsible for downloading the ELF binaries for ARM, MIPS, and X86 architectures, which, in turn, extracts the C2 server from an encrypted configuration, connects to it, and receives further commands for execution on the compromised device.
This includes running a legitimate tool known as Fast Reverse Proxy (FRP) to evade detection by creating an encrypted tunnel from the host to the attacker-controlled server, allowing for persistent remote access, data exfiltration, and payload deployment.
"The primary targets appear to be distributed across three main regions: South America, Europe, and Asia," security researchers Cara Lin and Vincent Li said.
"This geographical spread suggests a sophisticated and far-reaching attack campaign, potentially exploiting vulnerabilities common to these diverse markets or targeting specific industries prevalent in these areas."
The development comes as CISA this week added to its KEV catalog two flaws found in 2021 in DrayTek VigorConnect (CVE-2021-20123 and CVE-2021-20124, CVSS scores: 7.5) that could be exploited to download arbitrary files from the underlying operating system with root privileges.
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Text extracted automatically; images, tables and formatting may be missing. Original: https://thehackernews.com/2024/09/geoserver-vulnerability-targeted-by.html