CVE-2024-24749: geoserver Path Traversal — Fix

Description

GeoServer is an open source server that allows users to share and edit geospatial data. Prior to versions 2.23.5 and 2.24.3, if GeoServer is deployed in the Windows operating system using an Apache Tomcat web application server, it is possible to bypass existing input validation in the GeoWebCache ByteStreamController class and read arbitrary classpath resources with specific file name extensions. If GeoServer is also deployed as a web archive using the data directory embedded in the `geoserver.war` file (rather than an external data directory), it will likely be possible to read specific resources to gain administrator privileges. However, it is very unlikely that production environments will be using the embedded data directory since, depending on how GeoServer is deployed, it will be erased and re-installed (which would also reset to the default password) either every time the server restarts or every time a new GeoServer WAR is installed and is therefore difficult to maintain. An external data directory will always be used if GeoServer is running in standalone mode (via an installer or a binary). Versions 2.23.5 and 2.24.3 contain a patch for the issue. Some workarounds are available. One may change from a Windows environment to a Linux environment; or change from Apache Tomcat to Jetty application server. One may also disable anonymous access to the embeded GeoWebCache administration and status pages.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

7.5

HIGH

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-22 Path Traversal

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
geoserver	geoserver	< 2.23.5
geoserver	geoserver	2.24.0 — 2.24.3
microsoft	windows	All

References

Advisories & Patches

https://github.com/GeoWebCache/geowebcache/commit/c7f76bd8a1d67c3b986146e7a5e0b14dd64a8fef https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver/security/advisories/GHSA-jhqx-5v5g-mpf3 https://github.com/GeoWebCache/geowebcache/commit/c7f76bd8a1d67c3b986146e7a5e0b14dd64a8fef https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver/security/advisories/GHSA-jhqx-5v5g-mpf3

Other References

https://github.com/GeoWebCache/geowebcache/pull/1211 http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Feb/13 https://github.com/GeoWebCache/geowebcache/pull/1211

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-24749? +

GeoServer is an open source server that allows users to share and edit geospatial data. Prior to versions 2.23.5 and 2.24.3, if GeoServer is deployed in the Windows operating system using an Apache Tomcat web application server, it is possible to bypass existing input validation in the GeoWebCache ByteStreamController class and read arbitrary classpath resources with specific file name extensions. If GeoServer is also deployed as a web archive using the data directory embedded in the `geoserver.war` file (rather than an external data directory), it will likely be possible to read specific resources to gain administrator privileges. However, it is very unlikely that production environments will be using the embedded data directory since, depending on how GeoServer is deployed, it will be erased and re-installed (which would also reset to the default password) either every time the server restarts or every time a new GeoServer WAR is installed and is therefore difficult to maintain. An external data directory will always be used if GeoServer is running in standalone mode (via an installer or a binary). Versions 2.23.5 and 2.24.3 contain a patch for the issue. Some workarounds are available. One may change from a Windows environment to a Linux environment; or change from Apache Tomcat to Jetty application server. One may also disable anonymous access to the embeded GeoWebCache administration and status pages. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2024-24749? +

CVE-2024-24749 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.5 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching.

What products are affected by CVE-2024-24749? +

CVE-2024-24749 affects products from geoserver, microsoft, specifically: geoserver, windows. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2024-24749? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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