critical
9.8
CWE
95
Advisory Published
Advisory Published
Updated

CVE-2024-36404: GeoTools Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in evaluating XPath expressions

First published: Tue Jul 02 2024(Updated: )

### Summary Remote Code Execution (RCE) is possible if an application uses certain GeoTools functionality to evaluate XPath expressions supplied by user input. ### Details The following methods pass XPath expressions to the `commons-jxpath` library which can execute arbitrary code and would be a security issue if the XPath expressions are provided by user input. * `org.geotools.appschema.util.XmlXpathUtilites.getXPathValues(NamespaceSupport, String, Document)` * `org.geotools.appschema.util.XmlXpathUtilites.countXPathNodes(NamespaceSupport, String, Document)` * `org.geotools.appschema.util.XmlXpathUtilites.getSingleXPathValue(NamespaceSupport, String, Document)` * `org.geotools.data.complex.expression.FeaturePropertyAccessorFactory.FeaturePropertyAccessor.get(Object, String, Class<T>)` * `org.geotools.data.complex.expression.FeaturePropertyAccessorFactory.FeaturePropertyAccessor.set(Object, String, Object, Class)` * `org.geotools.data.complex.expression.MapPropertyAccessorFactory.new PropertyAccessor() {...}.get(Object, String, Class<T>)` * `org.geotools.xsd.StreamingParser.StreamingParser(Configuration, InputStream, String)` ### PoC The following inputs to StreamingParser will delay the response by five seconds: ``` new org.geotools.xsd.StreamingParser( new org.geotools.filter.v1_0.OGCConfiguration(), new java.io.ByteArrayInputStream("<Filter></Filter>".getBytes()), "java.lang.Thread.sleep(5000)") .parse(); ``` ### Impact This vulnerability can lead to executing arbitrary code. ### Mitigation GeoTools can operate with reduced functionality by removing the `gt-complex` jar from your application. As an example of the impact application schema datastore would not function without the ability to use XPath expressions to query complex content. The SourceForge download page lists drop-in-replacement jars for GeoTools: [31.1](https://sourceforge.net/projects/geotools/files/GeoTools%2031%20Releases/31.1/), [30.3](https://sourceforge.net/projects/geotools/files/GeoTools%2030%20Releases/30.3/geotools-30.3-patches.zip/download), [30.2](https://sourceforge.net/projects/geotools/files/GeoTools%2030%20Releases/30.2/geotools-30.2-patches.zip/download), [29.2](https://sourceforge.net/projects/geotools/files/GeoTools%2029%20Releases/29.2/geotools-29.2-patches.zip/download), [28.2](https://sourceforge.net/projects/geotools/files/GeoTools%2028%20Releases/28.2/geotools-28.2-patches.zip/download), [27.5](https://sourceforge.net/projects/geotools/files/GeoTools%2027%20Releases/27.5/geotools-27.5-patches.zip/download), [27.4](https://sourceforge.net/projects/geotools/files/GeoTools%2027%20Releases/27.4/geotools-27.4-patches.zip/download), [26.7](https://sourceforge.net/projects/geotools/files/GeoTools%2026%20Releases/26.7/geotools-26.7-patches.zip/download), [26.4](https://sourceforge.net/projects/geotools/files/GeoTools%2026%20Releases/26.4/), [25.2](https://sourceforge.net/projects/geotools/files/GeoTools%2025%20Releases/25.2/geotools-25.2-patches.zip/download), [24.0](https://sourceforge.net/projects/geotools/files/GeoTools%2024%20Releases/24.0/geotools-24.0-patches.zip/download). These jars are for download only and are not available from maven central, intended to quickly provide a fix to affected applications. ### References https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver/security/advisories/GHSA-6jj6-gm7p-fcvv https://osgeo-org.atlassian.net/browse/GEOT-7587 https://github.com/geotools/geotools/pull/4797 https://github.com/Warxim/CVE-2022-41852?tab=readme-ov-file#workaround-for-cve-2022-41852

Credit: security-advisories@github.com

Affected SoftwareAffected VersionHow to fix
maven/org.geotools.xsd:gt-xsd-core<28.6
28.6
maven/org.geotools:gt-complex<28.6
28.6
maven/org.geotools:gt-app-schema<28.6
28.6
maven/org.geotools.xsd:gt-xsd-core>=29.0<29.6
29.6
maven/org.geotools:gt-complex>=29.0<29.6
29.6
maven/org.geotools:gt-app-schema>=29.0<29.6
29.6
maven/org.geotools.xsd:gt-xsd-core>=31.0<31.2
31.2
maven/org.geotools:gt-complex>=31.0<31.2
31.2
maven/org.geotools:gt-app-schema>=31.0<31.2
31.2
maven/org.geotools.xsd:gt-xsd-core>=30.0<30.4
30.4
maven/org.geotools:gt-complex>=30.0<30.4
30.4
maven/org.geotools:gt-app-schema>=30.0<30.4
30.4
GeoTools<31.2<30.4<29.6
GeoTools>31.1<=31.1>30.3<=30.3>30.2<=30.2>29.2<=29.2>28.2<=28.2>27.5<=27.5>27.4<=27.4>26.7<=26.7>26.4<=26.4>25.2<=25.2>24.0<=24.0

Never miss a vulnerability like this again

Sign up to SecAlerts for real-time vulnerability data matched to your software, aggregated from hundreds of sources.

Read MoreStart Free Trial

Reference Links

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the severity of CVE-2024-36404?

    CVE-2024-36404 has a high severity rating due to the potential for Remote Code Execution.

  • How do I fix CVE-2024-36404?

    To fix CVE-2024-36404, upgrade GeoTools to version 31.2, 30.4, or 29.6 or later.

  • Which versions of GeoTools are affected by CVE-2024-36404?

    CVE-2024-36404 affects GeoTools versions prior to 31.2, 30.4, and 29.6.

  • What type of vulnerability is CVE-2024-36404?

    CVE-2024-36404 is a Remote Code Execution vulnerability caused by user input in XPath expressions.

  • How can CVE-2024-36404 impact my application?

    CVE-2024-36404 can allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the server running an affected application.

Company

Resources

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2025 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203