CISA Flags Actively Exploited GeoServer XXE Flaw in Updated KEV Catalog

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.

GeoServer, an open source server for sharing and editing geospatial data, is vulnerable to an XML External Entity (XXE) injection flaw (CWE-611) tracked as CVE-2025-58360. The flaw is triggered when an unauthenticated XML request sent to the /geoserver/wms endpoint with operation GetMap is not sufficiently sanitized or restricted, allowing an attacker to define external entities in the request and have the server resolve them, which can lead to disclosure of local files, SSRF to internal services, and potentially further compromise. It carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.8 (critical) with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, and related reporting describes unauthenticated RCE chains affecting government geoportal backends in this software ecosystem. Any organization running GeoServer 2.26.0 up to but not including 2.26.2, or any version before 2.25.6, is affected. Exploitation is confirmed in the wild: CISA added the flaw to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2025-12-11, and EPSS assigns a 64.9% probability of exploitation within 30 days (99th percentile).

Do: Upgrade immediately to GeoServer 2.25.6, 2.26.3, or 2.27.0, which contain the fix. If patching is delayed, restrict or firewall access to the /geoserver/wms endpoint (particularly GetMap requests) and limit the server's ability to fetch external resources; federal agencies must follow BOD 22-01 guidance per the KEV listing. Review WMS access logs for suspicious XML entity usage and outbound connections or file-read activity from the GeoServer host as indicators of exploitation.