CVE-2024-36404CWE-95

GeoTools Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in evaluating XPath expressions

Critical 路 published July 2, 2024

Patch now

High probability of exploitation

CVSS calls it critical at 9.8. It sits in the 99.5th percentile for exploit probability.

CVSS v3.1
9.8
EPSS
76%
Percentile
99.5
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

馃敟 A crafty XPath expression can turn malicious with GeoTools before version 31.2, leading to full remote code execution! Think of GeoTools as a smart assistant that can fetch information, but what if it blindly trusts any request it gets, letting intruders send harmful commands instead of safe questions? It's like giving a stranger the keys to your house because they said they were your friend! An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on your server, potentially leading to a full system compromise. This means they could access sensitive data, modify files, or even take control of your entire application. The consequences could be absolutely devastating!

Put simply

Think of GeoTools as a smart assistant that can fetch information, but what if it blindly trusts any request it gets, letting intruders send harmful commands instead of safe questions? It's like giving a stranger the keys to your house because they said they were your friend! This vulnerability arises when GeoTools evaluates XPath expressions from user input without proper validation, allowing remote code execution to occur if an application relies on this functionality.

What to do

An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on your server, potentially leading to a full system compromise. This means they could access sensitive data, modify files, or even take control of your entire application. The consequences could be absolutely devastating! To remediate, upgrade your GeoTools library to versions 31.2, 30.4, or 29.6 immediately. If you must use an older version, consider removing the `gt-complex` jar to reduce functionality as a temporary workaround. Alternatively, you can download drop-in replacement jars from SourceForge to quickly patch affected applications. You've got this! With these steps, you'll be well on your way to securing your application and earning your superhero status! 馃Ω鈥嶁檧锔忦煕★笍

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
9.8 路 CRITICAL
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.76065 路 99.5th percentile
Weakness
CWE-95 路 Improper Neutralization of Directives in Dynamically Evaluated Code ('Eval Injection')
Published
2024-07-02T13:39Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 02 JUL 13:39Z
    GeoTools Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in evaluating XPath expressions
    cvelistv5