---
id: "CVE-2024-36401"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2024-36401"]
title: "GeoServer is an open source server that allows users to share and edit geospatial data"
severity: "critical"
cvss: 9.8
epss: null
exploited: true
status: "open"
category: "package"
products: [{"name": "OSGeo GeoServer", "fixed": [], "affected": "", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "geoserver", "fixed": ["2.22.6"], "affected": "< 2.22.6", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "geoserver", "fixed": ["2.23.6"], "affected": ">= 2.23.0, < 2.23.6", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "geoserver", "fixed": ["2.24.4"], "affected": ">= 2.24.0, < 2.24.4", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "geoserver", "fixed": ["2.25.2"], "affected": ">= 2.25.0, < 2.25.2", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "geotools", "fixed": ["29.6"], "affected": "< 29.6", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "geotools", "fixed": ["30.4"], "affected": ">= 30.1, < 30.4", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "geotools", "fixed": ["31.2"], "affected": ">= 31.1, < 31.2", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "geotools", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 30.0", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "geotools", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 31.0", "ecosystem": "vendor"}]
ecosystems: ["vendor"]
tags: ["exploited", "geoserver", "geotools", "package", "self-hosted"]
not_affected_if: ["default-config"]
published_at: "2024-07-01T16:15:04+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-23T22:29:05+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "kev", "url": "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2024-36401", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00"}, {"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-36401", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T22:29:05+00:00"}]
---

# GeoServer is an open source server that allows users to share and edit geospatial data

GeoServer's GeoTools library evaluates property names as XPath expressions without safe handling, so crafted input is run as code. An unauthenticated attacker can execute code on the server.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## Affected

- vendor:OSGeo GeoServer affected ? fixed ?
- vendor:geoserver affected < 2.22.6 fixed 2.22.6
- vendor:geoserver affected >= 2.23.0, < 2.23.6 fixed 2.23.6
- vendor:geoserver affected >= 2.24.0, < 2.24.4 fixed 2.24.4
- vendor:geoserver affected >= 2.25.0, < 2.25.2 fixed 2.25.2
- vendor:geotools affected < 29.6 fixed 29.6
- vendor:geotools affected >= 30.1, < 30.4 fixed 30.4
- vendor:geotools affected >= 31.1, < 31.2 fixed 31.2
- vendor:geotools affected = 30.0 fixed ?
- vendor:geotools affected = 31.0 fixed ?

## Fix

Apply the vendor mitigation from the OSGeo GeoServer advisory; the sources do not name the fixed version.
If no mitigation is available, stop using the affected GeoServer instance.

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00 kev https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2024-36401
- 2026-10-23T22:29:05+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-36401

## From the sources

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.

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_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_