CVE-2024-36401 OSGeo GeoServer: command or code injection
In plain words: The program treats text it receives as instructions instead of plain data. The attacker can run commands on the machine — often the whole device is taken over.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline Aug 5, 2024
What to do
- Install OSGeo's security update for GeoServer. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
- Patch anything in this catalog first, ahead of normal patch cycles.
- Put admin and file-transfer apps behind a VPN or single sign-on instead of the open internet.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: Mass data theft and ransomware: a single flaw in a file-transfer or email server has exposed thousands of organisations at once.
The details
- Official name
- OSGeo GeoServer GeoTools Eval Injection Vulnerability
- Product
- OSGeo GeoServer
- CISA description
- 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.
- Type of flaw
- Command or code injection (CWE-95)
- Confirmed exploited
- Jul 15, 2024
- US federal patch deadline
- Aug 5, 2024
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Answering about CVE-2024-36401 ·
Questions about CVE-2024-36401
Is CVE-2024-36401 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2024-36401 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Jul 15, 2024, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks.
How do I fix CVE-2024-36401?
Install OSGeo's security update for GeoServer. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
Am I affected by CVE-2024-36401?
Only if you use OSGeo GeoServer. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.