CVE-2024-36401

CRITICAL KEV NUCLEI LAB

Geoserver unauthenticated Remote Code Execution

Title source: metasploit
STIX 2.1

Exploitation Summary

CVE-2024-36401 is actively exploited and listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added July 15, 2024. EIP tracks 25 public exploits from researchers including whitebear-ch, Chocapikk, Mr-xn, including a Metasploit module exploits/multi/http/geoserver_unauth_rce_cve_2024_36401. A Nuclei detection template is also available.

AI-analyzed exploit summary The repository lacks actual exploit code and only contains a README with vague descriptions and external links. It appears to be a social engineering lure rather than a legitimate PoC.

Description

GeoServer is an open source server that allows users to share and edit geospatial data. Prior to versions 2.22.6, 2.23.6, 2.24.4, and 2.25.2, multiple OGC request parameters allow Remote Code Execution (RCE) by unauthenticated users through specially crafted input against a default GeoServer installation due to unsafely evaluating property names as XPath expressions. The GeoTools library API that GeoServer calls evaluates property/attribute names for feature types in a way that unsafely passes them to the commons-jxpath library which can execute arbitrary code when evaluating XPath expressions. This XPath evaluation is intended to be used only by complex feature types (i.e., Application Schema data stores) but is incorrectly being applied to simple feature types as well which makes this vulnerability apply to **ALL** GeoServer instances. No public PoC is provided but this vulnerability has been confirmed to be exploitable through WFS GetFeature, WFS GetPropertyValue, WMS GetMap, WMS GetFeatureInfo, WMS GetLegendGraphic and WPS Execute requests. This vulnerability can lead to executing arbitrary code. Versions 2.22.6, 2.23.6, 2.24.4, and 2.25.2 contain a patch for the issue. A workaround exists by removing the `gt-complex-x.y.jar` file from the GeoServer where `x.y` is the GeoTools version (e.g., `gt-complex-31.1.jar` if running GeoServer 2.25.1). This will remove the vulnerable code from GeoServer but may break some GeoServer functionality or prevent GeoServer from deploying if the gt-complex module is needed.

Exploits (25)

nomisec SUSPICIOUS 120 stars
by whitebear-ch · poc
https://github.com/whitebear-ch/GeoServerExploit

The repository lacks actual exploit code and only contains a README with vague descriptions and external links. It appears to be a social engineering lure rather than a legitimate PoC.

Classification
Suspicious 90%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Theoretical
Reliability
Theoretical
Target: GeoServer
No auth needed
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 86 stars
by Chocapikk · remote
https://github.com/Chocapikk/CVE-2024-36401

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2024-36401, targeting GeoServer versions with an XPath injection vulnerability leading to unauthenticated RCE. The exploit includes version detection, payload construction, and reverse shell capabilities.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GeoServer (versions < 2.23.2, < 2.23.6, 2.24.0-2.24.3, 2.25.0)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to target GeoServer instance · Python environment with required dependencies
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 53 stars
by Mr-xn · remote
https://github.com/Mr-xn/CVE-2024-36401

This repository provides functional exploit code for CVE-2024-36401, demonstrating Remote Code Execution (RCE) in GeoServer via unsafely evaluated XPath expressions in property names. Multiple OGC request parameters (WFS, WMS, WPS) are shown with crafted payloads to execute arbitrary commands.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GeoServer (versions prior to 2.23.6, 2.24.4, and 2.25.2)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to a vulnerable GeoServer instance · Valid typeNames existing in the system
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 41 stars
by ahisec · remote
https://github.com/ahisec/geoserver-

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2024-36401, targeting GeoServer's WFS service. The exploit leverages OGNL injection via crafted XML payloads to achieve remote code execution (RCE), including reverse shell and memory shell injection capabilities.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GeoServer (version 2.15.2 and possibly others)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to GeoServer WFS endpoint · Java 8 environment for the exploit tool
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 37 stars
by bmth666 · remote
https://github.com/bmth666/GeoServer-Tools-CVE-2024-36401

This repository contains a functional exploit tool for CVE-2024-36401, targeting GeoServer with multiple attack vectors including DNS log probing, Jetty echo, and memory shell injection. The tool provides a GUI interface for executing these attacks and includes utilities for payload generation and attack execution.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GeoServer
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to a vulnerable GeoServer instance · Network connectivity to the target
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 35 stars
by bigb0x · remote
https://github.com/bigb0x/CVE-2024-36401

This repository contains a functional Python-based exploit for CVE-2024-36401, targeting GeoServer versions prior to 2.25.1, 2.24.3, and 2.23.5. The exploit sends a crafted WFS request to execute a reverse shell payload, assuming the presence of 'nc' on the target system.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GeoServer (versions < 2.25.1, < 2.24.3, < 2.23.5)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Target must have 'nc' installed · Attacker must have a publicly accessible IP for reverse shell callback
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 4 stars
by justin-p · remote
https://github.com/justin-p/geoexplorer

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2024-36401, targeting GeoServer instances via a crafted WFS request to achieve remote code execution (RCE). The exploit automates the discovery of feature types and sends payloads to trigger the vulnerability, logging successful exploitations via a server component.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GeoServer
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to a vulnerable GeoServer instance · Network connectivity to the target
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 4 stars
by Niuwoo · remote
https://github.com/Niuwoo/CVE-2024-36401

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2024-36401, a remote code execution vulnerability in GeoServer. The exploit leverages a crafted XML payload to execute arbitrary commands via the `exec` function in the `valueReference` attribute of a WFS GetPropertyValue request.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GeoServer (version not specified, but likely affects multiple versions)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the GeoServer WFS endpoint · GeoServer instance with vulnerable WFS service enabled
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 3 stars
by daniellowrie · remote
https://github.com/daniellowrie/CVE-2024-36401-PoC

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2024-36401, targeting GeoServer versions prior to 2.23.6, 2.24.4, or 2.25.2. The exploit leverages a remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability via crafted WFS requests to execute arbitrary commands, including downloading and running a Meterpreter payload.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GeoServer (versions < 2.23.6, < 2.24.4, < 2.25.2)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to a vulnerable GeoServer instance · Network connectivity to the target · Metasploit for payload handling
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 2 stars
by 0x0d3ad · remote
https://github.com/0x0d3ad/CVE-2024-36401

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2024-36401, targeting GeoServer's WFS service. The exploit leverages XML injection to execute arbitrary commands, resulting in a reverse shell.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GeoServer (WFS service)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the target GeoServer instance · Publicly accessible listener for the reverse shell
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 1 stars
by URJACK2025 · remote
https://github.com/URJACK2025/CVE-2024-36401

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2024-36401, a remote command execution vulnerability in GeoServer. The exploit leverages a crafted WFS (Web Feature Service) request to execute arbitrary commands on the target system, supporting both direct command execution and reverse shell modes.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GeoServer (version not specified)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Python 3.x · requests library · target GeoServer instance with WFS service exposed
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 1 stars
by amoy6228 · remote
https://github.com/amoy6228/CVE-2024-36401_Geoserver_RCE_POC

This repository contains a functional Python-based PoC for CVE-2024-36401, a remote code execution vulnerability in GeoServer. The exploit automates the extraction of Typenames and tests them for command execution via crafted requests to the GeoServer WFS interface.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GeoServer (version not specified)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Python 3.x · requests library · lxml library · access to GeoServer WFS endpoint
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 1 stars
by punitdarji · remote
https://github.com/punitdarji/GeoServer-CVE-2024-36401

The repository provides a functional exploit for CVE-2024-36401, demonstrating Remote Code Execution (RCE) in GeoServer via crafted WFS GetPropertyValue requests. The exploit leverages property name expression evaluation to execute arbitrary commands.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GeoServer (version not specified)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to GeoServer WFS endpoint
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec SUSPICIOUS 1 stars
by RevoltSecurities · remote
https://github.com/RevoltSecurities/CVE-2024-36401

The repository claims to be an exploit for CVE-2024-36401 (GeoServer RCE) but lacks actual exploit code. Instead, it relies on external API calls to 'api.cvssadvisor.com' for SSRF-based detection, which is unrelated to the stated CVE. The README is vague and focuses on tool features rather than technical details of the vulnerability.

Classification
Suspicious 90%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Theoretical
Target: GeoServer (version not specified)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: External API access to 'api.cvssadvisor.com'
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
github WORKING POC
by DanieleGiovanardi2408 · pythonremote
https://github.com/DanieleGiovanardi2408/cve-2024-36401-geoserver-rce

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2024-36401, an unauthenticated RCE vulnerability in GeoServer/GeoTools. The exploit leverages JXPath extension functions in OGC endpoints (e.g., WFS GetPropertyValue) to execute arbitrary Java code, demonstrated via Thread.sleep delays and file creation (touch).

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GeoServer (2.25.1 and earlier)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: GeoServer instance with exposed WFS endpoint · Network access to the target
devstral-2 · analyzed Jun 03, 2026 Full analysis →
github WORKING POC
by Delt-A · pythonremote
https://github.com/Delt-A/CVE-2024-36401-poc

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2024-36401, an unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability in GeoServer due to OGC XPath injection. The exploit crafts malicious XML payloads to execute arbitrary commands via the `exec()` function in JXPath, supporting reverse shell and command execution.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GeoServer < 2.25.2 / 2.24.4 / 2.23.6
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Target running vulnerable GeoServer version · Network access to GeoServer WFS endpoint
devstral-2 · analyzed May 30, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by mantanhacker · remote
https://github.com/mantanhacker/CVE-2024-36401-MASS

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2024-36401, targeting GeoServer's WFS service. The exploit leverages a Java deserialization vulnerability to achieve remote code execution via crafted XML payloads.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GeoServer (versions affected by CVE-2024-36401)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the GeoServer WFS endpoint · GeoServer instance vulnerable to CVE-2024-36401
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 19, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by funnyDog896 · poc
https://github.com/funnyDog896/CVE-2024-36401-WoodpeckerPlugin

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2024-36401, targeting GeoServer's Property Expression Injection RCE vulnerability. It includes both detection (PoC) and exploitation capabilities, with support for custom memory shell injection and command execution.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GeoServer
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Target URL with vulnerable GeoServer instance
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by kkhackz0013 · remote
https://github.com/kkhackz0013/CVE-2024-36401

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2024-36401, targeting GeoServer's WFS service. The exploit sends a crafted XML payload to execute arbitrary commands via Java runtime, establishing a reverse shell to the attacker's specified IP and port.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GeoServer (WFS service)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the GeoServer WFS endpoint · Attacker-controlled listener for reverse shell
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by y1s4s · poc
https://github.com/y1s4s/CVE-2024-36401-PoC

This repository contains a functional Python exploit for CVE-2024-36401, which targets a vulnerability in a WFS (Web Feature Service) server to achieve remote code execution via crafted GetPropertyValue requests. The exploit encodes a reverse shell payload in Base64 and sends it to the target server using specific parameters.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: WFS (Web Feature Service) server (version not specified)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Python 3.x · requests library · type_names.txt file · listener setup for reverse shell
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec SCANNER
by jakabakos · remote
https://github.com/jakabakos/CVE-2024-36401-GeoServer-RCE

The repository contains a detection script for CVE-2024-36401, which is an RCE vulnerability in GeoServer. The script sends a crafted XML payload to the target GeoServer instance and checks for an out-of-band (OOB) request to determine vulnerability.

Classification
Scanner 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GeoServer (version not specified)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to the target GeoServer instance · GeoServer instance with vulnerable endpoint exposed
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
vulncheck_xdb WORKING POC
remote
https://github.com/H1ng007/CVE-2024-3640_WafBypass

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2024-36401, targeting GeoServer's unsafe handling of XPath expressions via the commons-jxpath library, enabling remote code execution. The exploit includes WAF bypass techniques using XML comments and supports command execution, delayed detection, and memory shell injection.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GeoServer (via GeoTools and commons-jxpath)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to vulnerable GeoServer instance
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 25, 2026 Full analysis →
vulncheck_xdb WORKING POC
remote
https://github.com/netuseradministrator/CVE-2024-36401

This repository contains a functional exploit tool for CVE-2024-36401, targeting GeoServer with multiple exploit modules including RCE, memory injection, XXE, reverse shell, and file reading. The code includes detailed implementations for each exploit type, with a GUI interface for ease of use.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GeoServer
No auth needed
Prerequisites: access to GeoServer instance · network connectivity to target
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 25, 2026 Full analysis →
vulncheck_xdb WORKING POC
remote
https://github.com/yisas93/CVE-2024-36401-PoC

This repository contains a functional Python-based exploit for CVE-2024-36401, which targets a vulnerability in a WFS (Web Feature Service) server to achieve remote code execution (RCE) via crafted HTTP requests. The exploit uses Base64-encoded commands and a reverse shell payload to gain control over the target system.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: WFS (Web Feature Service) server (version not specified)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Python 3.x · requests library · type_names.txt file · listener setup for reverse shell
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 25, 2026 Full analysis →
metasploit WORKING POC EXCELLENT
rubypoc
https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/multi/http/geoserver_unauth_rce_cve_2024_36401.rb

This Metasploit module exploits CVE-2024-36401, an unauthenticated RCE vulnerability in GeoServer versions < 2.23.6, >= 2.24.0 < 2.24.4, and >= 2.25.0 < 2.25.1. It abuses unsafely evaluated XPath expressions in OGC request parameters to execute arbitrary commands.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GeoServer versions < 2.23.6, >= 2.24.0 < 2.24.4, and >= 2.25.0 < 2.25.1
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Network access to GeoServer instance · GeoServer running a vulnerable version
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →

Nuclei Templates (1)

GeoServer RCE in Evaluating Property Name Expressions
CRITICALVERIFIEDby DhiyaneshDk,ryanborum
Shodan: Server: GeoHttpServer
FOFA: title="geoserver" || app="geoserver"

Scores

CVSS v3 9.8
EPSS 0.9443
EPSS Percentile 100.0%
Attack Vector NETWORK
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CISA SSVC

Vulnrichment
Exploitation active
Automatable yes
Technical Impact total

Lab Environment

COMMUNITY SUSPICIOUS
Community Lab
docker pull vulhub/geoserver:2.23.2
docker pull geoserver-vulnerable:2.25.1
docker pull geoserver-patched:2.25.2
docker pull eclipse-temurin:11-jre
+22 more repos

Details

CISA KEV 2024-07-15
VulnCheck KEV 2024-07-03
InTheWild.io 2024-07-15
ENISA EUVD EUVD-2024-2280
CWE
CWE-95 CWE-94
Status published
Products (7)
geoserver/geoserver < 2.22.6
geotools/geotools 30.0 (2 CPE variants)
geotools/geotools 31.0 (2 CPE variants)
geotools/geotools < 29.6
org.geoserver/gs-wfs 2.24.0 - 2.24.4Maven
org.geoserver/gs-wms 2.24.0 - 2.24.4Maven
org.geoserver.web/gs-web-app 2.24.0 - 2.24.4Maven
Published Jul 01, 2024
KEV Added Jul 15, 2024
Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026