---
title: "CVE-2024-36401: OSGeo GeoServer GeoTools Eval Injection Vulnerability"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2024-36401/
description: "CVE-2024-36401 (OSGeo GeoServer): Exploited in the wild (CISA KEV). GeoServer is an open source server that allows users to share and edit geospatial data.…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2024-07-01
date_modified: 2025-10-22
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2024-36401"
kev: true
cvss: 9.3
epss: 0.99813
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2024-36401: OSGeo GeoServer GeoTools Eval Injection Vulnerability

**Signal:** Exploited: patch now if you run it. CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- Yes, if you run OSGeo GeoServer. CISA added this CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2024-07-15, which means there is reliable evidence of exploitation in the wild. US federal agencies must remediate by 2024-08-05 ; treat that as the outer limit, not the target.
- EPSS 99.8% , percentile 100.0: FIRST’s model estimates a 99.8% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 100.0% of all scored CVEs (very high). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app (Maven) >= 2.24.0, < 2.24.4, fixed in 2.24.4 ; org.geoserver:gs-wfs (Maven) >= 2.24.0, < 2.24.4, fixed in 2.24.4 ; org.geoserver:gs-wms (Maven) >= 2.24.0, < 2.24.4, fixed in 2.24.4 ; org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app (Maven) >= 2.25.0, < 2.25.2, fixed in 2.25.2 . Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

## What it is

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.

## Affected packages

- Maven `org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app` >= 2.24.0, < 2.24.4 → fixed: 2.24.4
- Maven `org.geoserver:gs-wfs` >= 2.24.0, < 2.24.4 → fixed: 2.24.4
- Maven `org.geoserver:gs-wms` >= 2.24.0, < 2.24.4 → fixed: 2.24.4
- Maven `org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app` >= 2.25.0, < 2.25.2 → fixed: 2.25.2
- Maven `org.geoserver:gs-wfs` >= 2.25.0, < 2.25.2 → fixed: 2.25.2
- Maven `org.geoserver:gs-wms` >= 2.25.0, < 2.25.2 → fixed: 2.25.2
- Maven `org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app` >= 2.23.0, < 2.23.6 → fixed: 2.23.6
- Maven `org.geoserver:gs-wfs` >= 2.23.0, < 2.23.6 → fixed: 2.23.6
- Maven `org.geoserver:gs-wms` >= 2.23.0, < 2.23.6 → fixed: 2.23.6
- Maven `org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app` < 2.22.6 → fixed: 2.22.6
- Maven `org.geoserver:gs-wfs` < 2.22.6 → fixed: 2.22.6
- Maven `org.geoserver:gs-wms` < 2.22.6 → fixed: 2.22.6

## Affected products (CVE record)

- geoserver geoserver: >= 2.23.0, < 2.23.6, >= 2.24.0, < 2.24.4, >= 2.25.0, < 2.25.2, < 2.22.6

## Severity

- GitHub_M CVSS 3.1: 9.8 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`
- GitHub CVSS 4.0: 9.3 `CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:A`

## Exploitation

- CISA KEV: added 2024-07-15; federal due date 2024-08-05. Known ransomware use: Unknown.
- CISA required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active , automatable yes , technical impact total .
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 99.81% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 100.0.

## Sources

- [Listed in CISA KEV notes (github.com)](https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver/security/advisories/GHSA-6jj6-gm7p-fcvv)
- [Listed in CISA KEV notes (github.com)](https://github.com/geotools/geotools/pull/4797)
- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-6jj6-gm7p-fcvv](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-6jj6-gm7p-fcvv)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2024-36401](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-36401)
- [NVD entry CVE-2024-36401](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-36401)
- [CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog entry](https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2024-36401)
- [github.com](https://github.com/geotools/geotools/security/advisories/GHSA-w3pj-wh35-fq8w)
- [github.com](https://github.com/Warxim/CVE-2022-41852?tab=readme-ov-file#workaround-for-cve-2022-41852)
- [osgeo-org.atlassian.net](https://osgeo-org.atlassian.net/browse/GEOT-7587)
- [vicarius.io](https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/geoserver-rce-cve-2024-36401)

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Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2024-36401/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt