CVE-2024-36401Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in evaluating property name expressions in Geoserver
Updated under an hour ago ()
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It affects geoserver and 1 other product. Add what you run to find out whether that includes you.
CISA lists it as known exploited since Jul 15, 2024; federal agencies had to remediate by Aug 5, 2024. Treat that date as your deadline.
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GeoServer is an open source server that allows users to share and edit geospatial data. Prior to versions 2.22.6, 2.23.6, 2.24.4, and 2.25.2, multiple OGC request parameters allow Remote Code Execution (RCE) by unauthenticated users through specially crafted input against a default GeoServer installation due to unsafely evaluating property names as XPath expressions. The GeoTools library API that GeoServer calls evaluates property/attribute names for feature types in a way that unsafely passes them to the commons-jxpath library which can execute arbitrary code when evaluating XPath expressions. This XPath evaluation is intended to be used only by complex feature types (i.e., Application Schema data stores) but is incorrectly being applied to simple feature types as well which makes this vulnerability apply to **ALL** GeoServer instances. No public PoC is provided but this vulnerability has been confirmed to be exploitable through WFS GetFeature, WFS GetPropertyValue, WMS GetMap, WMS GetFeatureInfo, WMS GetLegendGraphic and WPS Execute requests. This vulnerability can lead to executing arbitrary code. Versions 2.22.6, 2.23.6, 2.24.4, and 2.25.2 contain a patch for the issue. A workaround exists by removing the `gt-complex-x.y.jar` file from the GeoServer where `x.y` is the GeoTools version (e.g., `gt-complex-31.1.jar` if running GeoServer 2.25.1). This will remove the vulnerable code from GeoServer but may break some GeoServer functionality or prevent GeoServer from deploying if the gt-complex module is needed.
- CVSS
- 9.8 CRITICAL (v3.1, CNA)CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Weakness (CWE)
- CWE-95
- Known exploited
- Added to CISA KEV Jul 15, 2024; federal remediation due Aug 5, 2024Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
- EPSS (exploitation in the next 30 days)
- 99.81% (percentile 100)
- Assigned by
- GitHub_M
- NVD analysis
- Analyzed
- Record last updated
- Oct 21, 2025
- First seen by InfoSec Signals
- Oct 9, 2026
Affected products
geoserver geoserver geoserver:geoserver (from the name) | from 2.23.0, < 2.23.6; from 2.24.0, < 2.24.4; from 2.25.0, < 2.25.2; before 2.22.6 | CNA record |
geoserver geoserver geoserver:geoserver | before 2.23.6 | CISA ADP |
geoserver geoserver geoserver:geoserver | before 2.22.6; from 2.23.0 before 2.23.6; from 2.24.0 before 2.24.4; from 2.25.0 before 2.25.2 | NVD |
geotools geotools geotools:geotools | before 29.6; from 30.1 before 30.4; from 31.1 before 31.2; 30.0; 30.0; 31.0; 31.0 | NVD |
References
- https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver/security/advisories/GHSA-6jj6-gm7p-fcvvx-refsource-confirm, mitigation, vendor-advisory
- https://github.com/geotools/geotools/security/advisories/GHSA-w3pj-wh35-fq8wx-refsource-misc, exploit, vendor-advisory
- https://github.com/geotools/geotools/pull/4797x-refsource-misc, issue-tracking, patch
- https://github.com/Warxim/CVE-2022-41852?tab=readme-ov-file#workaround-for-cve-2022-41852x-refsource-misc, exploit, third-party-advisory
- https://osgeo-org.atlassian.net/browse/GEOT-7587x-refsource-misc, vendor-advisory
- https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/geoserver-rce-cve-2024-36401exploit, third-party-advisory
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2024-36401us-government-resource
The CVE record on cve.org NVD's entry
The CVE record is authoritative. Products marked “from the name” were identified from the CNA's free-text names, not a CPE, and are matched less certainly. This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.