Overview
The vulnerability CVE-2024-29198 is a significant security flaw discovered in GeoServer, an open-source server software designed in Java for sharing and editing geospatial data. The vulnerability, if exploited, can lead to a Server Side Request Forgery (SSRF), potentially compromising the system or resulting in data leakage. This flaw is particularly concerning for businesses and organizations that rely on GeoServer for geospatial data management and could result in significant disruptions if not promptly addressed.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2024-29198
Severity: High – CVSS Score 7.5
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
Product | Affected Versions
GeoServer | versions prior to 2.24.4 and 2.25.2
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability arises from GeoServer’s Demo request endpoint. If the Proxy Base URL has not been set, an attacker can manipulate the server into making an HTTP request to an arbitrary domain. This unauthorized request can lead to data leakage or even a potential system compromise if the attacker can reach sensitive internal services or execute certain commands.
Conceptual Example Code
Here’s a conceptual representation of how this vulnerability might be exploited using a malicious HTTP request:
POST /geoserver/demo/TestWfsPost HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/xml
<Execute>
<Identifier>http://target.internal/</Identifier>
</Execute>
In this example, the attacker sends a POST request to the Demo request endpoint with a crafted XML payload, directing the server to make an HTTP request to an internal target, potentially leading to SSRF.
Mitigation
To address this vulnerability, users are advised to upgrade to GeoServer 2.24.4, or 2.25.2, as these versions have removed the TestWfsPost servlet resolving this issue. If immediate updating is not possible, usage of a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as a temporary mitigation method.
