Critical GeoServer Flaw CVE-2024-36401 Actively Exploited in Attacks

by | Jul 17, 2024 | News

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The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued a warning about an actively exploited remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in GeoServer, an open-source server for geospatial data. The flaw, tracked as CVE-2024-36401, has been given a severity rating of 9.8.

Details of the Vulnerability

GeoServer disclosed the critical RCE vulnerability on June 30, 2024. The issue stems from the GeoTools plugin, which unsafely evaluates property names as XPath expressions, leading to the potential for arbitrary code execution. Specifically, the GeoTools library API evaluates property/attribute names in a manner that can be exploited via the commons-jxpath library.

Impact and Exploitation

Although initially not exploited, researchers quickly released proof-of-concept exploits demonstrating the flaw’s potential. These exploits could enable remote code execution on exposed servers, allow for reverse shell openings, make outbound connections, or create files in the /tmp folder.

GeoServer maintainers promptly patched the flaw in versions 2.23.6, 2.24.4, and 2.25.2, and recommended that all users upgrade to these releases. They also provided workarounds, though with potential functionality trade-offs.

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CISA’s Warning and Observations

On July 9, 2024, threat monitoring service Shadowserver reported active exploitation of CVE-2024-36401. Following this, CISA added the flaw to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, requiring federal agencies to patch the servers by August 5, 2024.

Open-source intelligence (OSINT) from ZoomEye identified approximately 16,462 exposed GeoServer servers, predominantly in the U.S., China, Romania, Germany, and France.

Recommendations

While CISA’s directives primarily target federal agencies, private organizations using GeoServer should also prioritize patching this vulnerability. Immediate action includes:

Upgrading GeoServer: Update to the latest versions (2.23.6, 2.24.4, or 2.25.2).
Implementing Workarounds: Apply recommended workarounds if upgrading is not immediately possible, but be aware of potential impacts on functionality.
Monitoring Systems: Thoroughly review systems and logs for signs of compromise.

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Source: bleepingcomputer.com

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