GeoServer is an open source server that allows users to share and edit geospatial data. An improper URI validation vulnerability exists that enables an unauthorized attacker to perform XML External Entities (XEE) attack, then send GET request to any HTTP server. By default, GeoServer use PreventLocalEntityResolver class from GeoTools to filter out malicious URIs in XML entities before resolving them. The URI must match the regex (?i)(jar:file|http|vfs)[^?#;]*\\.xsd. But the regex leaves a chance for attackers to request to any HTTP server or limited file. Attacker can abuse this to scan internal networks and gain information about them then exploit further. GeoServer 2.25.0 and greater default to the use of ENTITY_RESOLUTION_ALLOWLIST and does not require you to provide a system property.
This vulnerability carries a CRITICAL severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.3, indicating it can be exploited remotely over the network with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), limited integrity, for affected systems. Impacting 1 product from osgeo organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.
Reported in 2025, this vulnerability emerged during an era marked by increased sophistication in supply chain attacks, cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) security challenges. Security practices during this period emphasized zero-trust architectures, container security, and API protection.
2025-06-10T15:15:22.710
2025-08-26T16:24:18.393
Analyzed
CVSSv3.1: 9.3 (CRITICAL)
SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For osgeo's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.