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Full vulnerability report · 2024
CVE-2024-36401High confidence

OSGeo GeoServer GeoTools Eval Injection Vulnerability

OSGeo · GeoServer

Official source articles: GitHub GHSA-6JJ6-GM7P-FCVV ↗ · GitHub GHSA-W3PJ-WH35-FQ8W ↗. Check the applicable product and release in the original source.

9.8CriticalCVSS 3.1
Recommended action
Patch now

CISA confirms exploitation in the wild and lists 2024-08-05 as the remediation due date.

Patch available
R
Operational reassessment

Published severity in operational context

Open reassessment dashboard →
Published severityCriticalOperational priority:Critical, unchanged from published severity.unchanged

Evidence used

  • CISA confirms exploitation in the wild.
  • A structured source references public exploit or proof-of-concept material.
  • The selected CVSS metric records a network-reachable, unauthenticated path with no user interaction.
  • EPSS is 99.81% for the current model date.

Compensating controls

  • Validate the affected product branch and deploy the verified fixed release.
  • Restrict the affected network interface to trusted sources where business-safe.
  • Increase monitoring for the attack path and post-exploitation behaviour described in the report.

Verification

  1. Confirm that the asset runs OSGeo GeoServer and falls inside the recorded affected range.
  2. Verify the installed build against the product-specific fixed version after deployment.
  3. Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
  4. Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Mitigation target: Within 3 daysRemediation target: Within 90 days

This automated reassessment organises public evidence. It does not know asset exposure, business impact or control effectiveness and does not replace CVSS or a human risk decision.

Open-source package ranges12 source-attributed ranges

These OSV and GitHub advisory ranges apply only to the named package and ecosystem. A listed fixed version is not a universal product patch or proof that an update is installed.

Ecosystem and packageAffected rangeFirst fixed versionEvidence
mavenorg.geoserver.web:gs-web-app>= 2.24.0, < 2.24.42.24.4GitHub advisory ↗upstream repository advisory · 22 Oct 2025
mavenorg.geoserver.web:gs-web-app>= 2.25.0, < 2.25.22.25.2GitHub advisory ↗upstream repository advisory · 22 Oct 2025
mavenorg.geoserver.web:gs-web-app>= 2.23.0, < 2.23.62.23.6GitHub advisory ↗upstream repository advisory · 22 Oct 2025
mavenorg.geoserver.web:gs-web-app< 2.22.62.22.6GitHub advisory ↗upstream repository advisory · 22 Oct 2025
mavenorg.geoserver:gs-wfs>= 2.24.0, < 2.24.42.24.4GitHub advisory ↗upstream repository advisory · 22 Oct 2025
mavenorg.geoserver:gs-wfs>= 2.25.0, < 2.25.22.25.2GitHub advisory ↗upstream repository advisory · 22 Oct 2025
mavenorg.geoserver:gs-wfs>= 2.23.0, < 2.23.62.23.6GitHub advisory ↗upstream repository advisory · 22 Oct 2025
mavenorg.geoserver:gs-wfs< 2.22.62.22.6GitHub advisory ↗upstream repository advisory · 22 Oct 2025
mavenorg.geoserver:gs-wms>= 2.24.0, < 2.24.42.24.4GitHub advisory ↗upstream repository advisory · 22 Oct 2025
mavenorg.geoserver:gs-wms>= 2.25.0, < 2.25.22.25.2GitHub advisory ↗upstream repository advisory · 22 Oct 2025
mavenorg.geoserver:gs-wms>= 2.23.0, < 2.23.62.23.6GitHub advisory ↗upstream repository advisory · 22 Oct 2025
mavenorg.geoserver:gs-wms< 2.22.62.22.6GitHub advisory ↗upstream repository advisory · 22 Oct 2025
Optional official sources

National CERT insights
?CERT means Computer Emergency Response Team; CSIRT is the closely related term Computer Security Incident Response Team.

Choose official national sources for this report. Each advisory shows its original language. Your selection is remembered on this device and included in shared links.

Official European source

ENISA European Vulnerability Database

Official EUVD identifiers, advisory evidence and known-exploited context. Missing fields are not treated as evidence of low risk.

1 current
ENISA EUVD identifier

EUVD-2024-2280

CISA KEV mirrored by ENISA

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.

EUVD state
Present in the current official mapping
Known exploitation
Recorded by ENISA since 15 Jul 2024. Evidence sources: cisa_kev.
ENISA score
9.8 · CVSS 3.1
Advisory evidence
1 linked advisory record
Explicit mitigation evidence

Only statements that explicitly mention a fix, patch, update, workaround or mitigation are shown here.

  • csaf_ncscnl · NCSC-2024-0274Kwetsbaarheid verholpen in GeoServer
Recommended actionPatch now

CISA confirms exploitation in the wild and lists 2024-08-05 as the remediation due date.

Patch available
01

What, why and how

OSGeo GeoServer GeoTools contains an improper neutralization of directives in dynamically evaluated code vulnerability due to unsafely evaluating property names as XPath expressions. This allows unauthenticated attackers to conduct remote code execution via specially crafted input.

What

OSGeo GeoServer GeoTools contains an improper neutralization of directives in dynamically evaluated code vulnerability due to unsafely evaluating property names as XPath expressions. This allows unauthenticated attackers to conduct remote code execution via specially crafted input.

Why

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes code syntax before using the input in a dynamic evaluation call (e.g. eval).

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may execute code or commands in the affected security context.

What

OSGeo GeoServer GeoTools contains an improper neutralization of directives in dynamically evaluated code vulnerability due to unsafely evaluating property names as XPath expressions. This allows unauthenticated attackers to conduct remote code execution via specially crafted input.

Why

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes code syntax before using the input in a dynamic evaluation call (e.g. eval).

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may execute code or commands in the affected security context.

02

Exploit reality and attack path

CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.

Observed exploitation
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
Confirmed in the wild

CISA added this CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 2024-07-15.

Public PoC / exploit material
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
Reference recorded

A structured CVE source labels at least one public reference as exploit material. BlackTree has not independently validated that it is safe, reliable or weaponised.

Likely attack path
a network path → Improper Neutralization of Directives in Dynamically Evaluated Code ('Eval Injection') → execute code or commands in the affected security context
Attack surface
Network
Privileges required
None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low: no specialised conditions are recorded
Security boundary
Unchanged: impact remains within the vulnerable component's security authority
Weakness
?CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness.
CWE-95 ↗

CWE-95: Improper Neutralization of Directives in Dynamically Evaluated Code ('Eval Injection'). The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes code syntax before using the input in a dynamic evaluation call (e.g. eval).

CVSS vector
?CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Common Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.

AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.PRNonePrivileges required: The attacker does not need an account or existing privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.SUnchangedScope: The security impact remains within the vulnerable component's authority.CHighConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.IHighIntegrity impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.AHighAvailability impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.
Post-exploitation / living off the land
After compromise, an attacker may use built-in shells, scripting engines, scheduled tasks and native network utilities for discovery, persistence or movement. This is a plausible LoTL path, not evidence that it has occurred for every attack.
NetworkUnauthenticatedRemote code executionCWE-95CISA KEVPublic exploit reference
A

Official authority intelligence

Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.

ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2024-2280Known-exploited evidence recorded

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.

Official EUVD record ↗
Cyber Security Agency of Singapore · English · CSA-SB-20240703Security Bulletin 03 Jul 2024

The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore included this CVE in its official Security Bulletin 03 Jul 2024, published on 3 July 2024. Open the linked bulletin for the product, severity and reference information published in that issue.

Official advisory ↗
JVN iPedia · Japanese · JVNDB-2024-003939geoserver の geoserver 等複数ベンダの製品におけるコードインジェクションの脆弱性

geoserver の geoserver 等複数ベンダの製品には、コードインジェクションの脆弱性が存在します。

Official advisory ↗
KISA KrCERT/CC · Korean · KNVD-6242美 CISA 발표 주요 Exploit 정보공유(Update. 2024-07-15)

OSGeo GeoServer GeoTools contains an improper neutralization of directives in dynamically evaluated code vulnerability due to unsafely evaluating property names as XPath expressions. This allows unauthenticated attackers to conduct remote code execution via specially crafted input.

Official advisory ↗
KISA KrCERT/CC · Korean · KNVD-6233GeoServer 제품 보안 업데이트 권고

GeoServer에서 발생하는 인증되지 않은 원격 코드 실행 취약점(CVE-2024-36401) [2]

Official advisory ↗
NCSC-NL · Dutch · NCSC-2024-0274Kwetsbaarheid verholpen in GeoServer

De kwetsbaarheid bevindt zich in de wijze waarop XPath expressies door de API worden verwerkt en stelt een kwaadwillende in staat om met speciaal geprepareerde XPath expressies een command-injection uit te voeren en zo code uit te voeren met rechten van de applicatie. Proof-of-Concept-Code is beschikbaar om de kwetsbaarheid aan te tonen. Systemen waarbij de API publiek toegankelijki is lopen hiermee verhoogd risico. De API in kwestie is normaal gesproken niet standaard bereikbaar vanaf publieke netwerken.

Official advisory ↗
03

Patch and workaround

Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.

Status
?Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change.
Patch available
Affected
geoserver: 2.24.0, < 2.24.4, < 2.22.6, 2.25.0, < 2.25.2, 2.23.0, < 2.23.6
Fixed
An authoritative update reference is available, but the fixed version is not recorded in the structured CVE fields. Check the linked vendor advisory for the applicable release.
Action
Review the linked authoritative reference and apply the recorded fixed release appropriate to the affected product branch.
Workaround
A mitigation or workaround reference is available from the source linked below; validate it against the affected product and version.
04

Evidence and provenance

Published 1 Jul 2024 · Last source change 21 Oct 2025, 22:56 UTC · CWE-95 · Improper Neutralization of Directives in Dynamically Evaluated Code ('Eval Injection')

CVE recordCVE.org · 5.1
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source
?The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.
FIRST · tracked since 2026-08-14
European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2024-2280
Product sourceCISA KEV
Remediation sourceCVE/CNA references
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD enriched

Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.

Material change intelligence

What changed after publication

View recent updates ↗
  1. Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
    Before
    >= 2.23.0, < 2.23.6; >= 2.24.0, < 2.24.4; >= 2.25.0, < 2.25.2; < 2.22.6 · Fixed: An authoritative update reference is available, but the fixed version is not recorded in the structured CVE fields. Check the linked vendor advisory for the applicable release.
    After
    geoserver: >= 2.23.0, < 2.23.6, >= 2.24.0, < 2.24.4, >= 2.25.0, < 2.25.2, < 2.22.6 · Fixed: An authoritative update reference is available, but the fixed version is not recorded in the structured CVE fields. Check the linked vendor advisory for the applicable release.
    CNA ↗
Material fields only · duplicate refreshes suppressed · history retained for the configured operational retention period
CVE published
Added to CISA KEV
Fixed release or patch reference recorded
ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2024-2280↗CISA KEV record↗CVE authority or vendor reference · GitHub GHSA-6JJ6-GM7P-FCVV↗Public exploit reference · GitHub GHSA-W3PJ-WH35-FQ8W↗Patch or update reference↗Vendor advisory↗Public exploit reference↗Official CVE record (CNA and ADP data)↗NVD record↗
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
CVE
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
CVSS
Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
EPSS
Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
CWE
Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
CNA
CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
CISA ADP
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
NVD
National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
CERT / CSIRT
A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
PoC
Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
CSAF
Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
LoTL
Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.
Free version - for non-commercial use only.CVE-2024-36401 · cve.blacktree.nl