CVE-2023-25158

GeoTools OGC Filter SQL Injection Vulnerabilities

        Map<String, Object> params = new HashMap<>();
        params.put("dbtype", "postgis");
        params.put("host", "localhost");
        params.put("port", 5432);
        params.put("schema", "public");
        params.put("database", "database");
        params.put("user", "postgres");
        params.put("passwd", "postgres");
        params.put("preparedStatements", true ); // mitigation
        params.put("encode functions", false ); // mitigation

        DataStore dataStore = DataStoreFinder.getDataStore(params);

GeoTools includes support for OGC Filter expression language parsing, encoding and execution against a range of datastore.

SQL Injection Vulnerabilities have been found when executing OGC Filters with JDBCDataStore implementations:

1. PropertyIsLike filter
   • Requires PostGIS DataStore with "encode functions" enabled
   • Or any JDBCDataStore (all relational databases) with String field (no mitigation)
2. strEndsWith function
   • Requires PostGIS DataStore with "encode functions" enabled
3. strStartsWith function
   • Requires PostGIS DataStore with "encode functions" enabled
4. FeatureId filter
   • Requires JDBCDataStore (all relational databases) with prepared statements disabled and table with String primary key (Oracle not affected, SQL Server and MySQL have no settings to enabled prepared statements, PostGIS does)
5. jsonArrayContains function
   • Requires PostGIS and Oracle DataStore with String or JSON field
6. DWithin filter
   • Happens only in Oracle DataStore, no mitigation

Untrusted input alters a database query, allowing the attacker to read or modify data the query was not intended to access. Typical impact: data disclosure or modification.

CVE-2023-25158 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (28.2, 27.4, 26.7, 25.7, 24.7); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Already deployed Kodem?

• GeoTools 28.2
• GeoTools 27.4
• GeoTools 26.7
• GeoTools 25.7
• GeoTools 24.7

1. What is CVE-2023-25158? CVE-2023-25158 is a critical-severity SQL injection vulnerability in org.geotools:gt-jdbc (maven), affecting versions >= 28.0, < 28.2. It is fixed in 28.2, 27.4, 26.7, 25.7, 24.7. Untrusted input alters a database query, allowing the attacker to read or modify data the query was not intended to access.
2. How severe is CVE-2023-25158? CVE-2023-25158 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of org.geotools:gt-jdbc are affected by CVE-2023-25158? org.geotools:gt-jdbc (maven) versions >= 28.0, < 28.2 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2023-25158? Yes. CVE-2023-25158 is fixed in 28.2, 27.4, 26.7, 25.7, 24.7. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2023-25158 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-25158 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2023-25158 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2023-25158?
   • Upgrade org.geotools:gt-jdbc to 28.2 or later
   • Upgrade org.geotools:gt-jdbc to 27.4 or later
   • Upgrade org.geotools:gt-jdbc to 26.7 or later
   • Upgrade org.geotools:gt-jdbc to 25.7 or later
   • Upgrade org.geotools:gt-jdbc to 24.7 or later