CVE-2025-27505

It is possible to bypass the default REST API security and access the index page.

Details

The REST API security handles rest and its subpaths but not rest with an extension (e.g., rest.html).

Workaround

In ${GEOSERVER_DATA_DIR}/security/config.xml, change the paths for the rest filter to /rest.*,/rest/** and change the paths for the gwc filter to /gwc/rest.*,/gwc/rest/** and restart GeoServer.

References

https://osgeo-org.atlassian.net/browse/GEOS-11664
https://osgeo-org.atlassian.net/browse/GEOS-11776
https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver/pull/8170

The REST API index can disclose whether certain extensions are installed.

The application does not perform an authorization check before performing a sensitive operation. Typical impact: unauthorized access to restricted functionality or data.

CVE-2025-27505 has a CVSS score of 5.3 (Medium). 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 (2.26.3, 2.25.6); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is CVE-2025-27505? CVE-2025-27505 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app (maven), affecting versions >= 2.26.0, < 2.26.3. It is fixed in 2.26.3, 2.25.6. The application does not perform an authorization check before performing a sensitive operation.
2. How severe is CVE-2025-27505? CVE-2025-27505 has a CVSS score of 5.3 (Medium). 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 packages are affected by CVE-2025-27505?
   • org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app (maven) (versions >= 2.26.0, < 2.26.3)
   • org.geoserver:gs-rest (maven) (versions >= 2.26.0, < 2.26.3)
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2025-27505? Yes. CVE-2025-27505 is fixed in 2.26.3, 2.25.6. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2025-27505 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-27505 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-2025-27505 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-2025-27505?
   • Upgrade org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app to 2.26.3 or later
   • Upgrade org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app to 2.25.6 or later
   • Upgrade org.geoserver:gs-rest to 2.26.3 or later
   • Upgrade org.geoserver:gs-rest to 2.25.6 or later