`CVE-2023-51444` GeoServer

Affected software	GeoServer
Severity	7.2 High CVSS 3.1 2 scores
Fixed in	`2.23.4`, `2.24.1`
Weakness	Unrestricted file upload (CWE-434)
Published	20 Mar 2024
Updated	17 Jun 2026

Description

GeoServer is an open source software server written in Java that allows users to share and edit geospatial data. An arbitrary file upload vulnerability exists in versions prior to 2.23.4 and 2.24.1 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. 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. 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. Versions 2.23.4 and 2.24.1 contain a fix for this issue.

CWE-20 · Improper input validation

Exploitation status

Proof of concept only

A proof of concept exists, but no reviewed exploit catalogue lists this CVE.

CISA KEV not listed
VulnCheck KEV not listed
CISA Vulnrichment exploitation: poc CISA recorded that an exploit has been demonstrated. Automatable: no, technical impact: total.
Indexed PoC 1 indexed, none at 5+ stars
EPSS 1.9% chance in 30 days

1 of these are GitHub repositories with fewer than 5 stars. They are listed for reference and don't count toward the exploitation status above.

Index	Artifact	Stars	First seen
GitHub PoC	iPlayForSG/CVE-2023-51444	1	2025-11-10

Index

Artifact

Stars

First seen

GitHub PoC

iPlayForSG/CVE-2023-51444

2025-11-10

Waratek protection

Protected by Waratek

Waratek has a rule that blocks attacks on this vulnerability.

Protection full Path traversal
Action available security rule
Review automated Inferred
Record active

Decided by	A vulnerability class already blocked by an ARMR security rule
Finding	Protected by Waratek's ARMR path-traversal security rule, which blocks this class of attack at the JVM level without a rule written for this CVE specifically. The CVE's description identifies a path traversal vulnerability. Matched by description (CWE-20, CWE-434 were assigned, but none settles the class on its own).
Candidate fix	https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver/commit/ca683170c669718cb6ad4c79e01b0451065e13b8 : a commit: the change itself

Decided by

A vulnerability class already blocked by an ARMR security rule

Finding

Protected by Waratek's ARMR path-traversal security rule, which blocks this class of attack at the JVM level without a rule written for this CVE specifically. The CVE's description identifies a path traversal vulnerability. Matched by description (CWE-20, CWE-434 were assigned, but none settles the class on its own).

Candidate fix

https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver/commit/ca683170c669718cb6ad4c79e01b0451065e13b8 : a commit: the change itself

How to mitigate CVE-2023-51444

Upgrade GeoServer to a release that fixes it: 2.23.4 or 2.24.1. Until you can, Waratek RASP blocks exploitation with its path traversal rule. It runs inside the Java application, with no code changes.

Waratek RASP Runtime protection for Java applications

CVSS

7.2 HIGH v3.1 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H 2 metrics

We show the highest score from the newest CVSS version. Scores from different versions can't be compared, and the first score listed is sometimes a 0.0 placeholder.

Version Score Band Vector Assigner Type

CVSS 3.1 7.2 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H security-advisories@github.com Secondary published

CVSS 3.1 7.2 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H NVD Primary

Version	Score	Band	Vector	Assigner	Type
CVSS 3.1	7.2	HIGH	`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`	security-advisories@github.com	Secondary	published
CVSS 3.1	7.2	HIGH	`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`	NVD	Primary

Affected software and releases

Maven packages

Affected and fixed versions, from OSV.dev

Package Introduced Fixed Last affected

org.geoserver:gs-platform 0 2.23.4 unbounded

org.geoserver:gs-restconfig 0 2.23.4 unbounded

org.geoserver:gs-platform 2.24.0 2.24.1 unbounded

org.geoserver:gs-restconfig 2.24.0 2.24.1 unbounded

Package	Introduced	Fixed	Last affected
`org.geoserver:gs-platform`	0	`2.23.4`	unbounded
`org.geoserver:gs-restconfig`	0	`2.23.4`	unbounded
`org.geoserver:gs-platform`	2.24.0	`2.24.1`	unbounded
`org.geoserver:gs-restconfig`	2.24.0	`2.24.1`	unbounded

Products and versions

3 products, 6 version entries

Source	Vendor	Product	Scheme	Affected versions
nvd	geoserver	geoserver	generic	＜ 2.23.4 · 2.24.0
osv	org.geoserver	gs-platform	generic	＜ 2.23.4 · ≥ 2.24.0 and ＜ 2.24.1
osv	org.geoserver	gs-restconfig	generic	＜ 2.23.4 · ≥ 2.24.0 and ＜ 2.24.1

Source

Vendor

Product

Scheme

Affected versions

nvd

geoserver

generic

＜ 2.23.4 · 2.24.0

osv

org.geoserver

gs-platform

generic

＜ 2.23.4 · ≥ 2.24.0 and ＜ 2.24.1

osv

org.geoserver

gs-restconfig

generic

＜ 2.23.4 · ≥ 2.24.0 and ＜ 2.24.1

References

URL	Tags
https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver/commit/ca683170c669718cb6ad4c79e01b0451065e13b8	commit
https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver/security/advisories/GHSA-9v5q-2gwq-q9hq	WEB
https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver/pull/7222	WEB
https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver/commit/fe235b3bb1d7f05751a4a2ef5390c36f5c9e78ae	WEB
https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver	PACKAGE
https://osgeo-org.atlassian.net/browse/GEOS-11176	WEB

URL

Timeline

Published	2024-03-20	By the CVE Program.
NVD record modified	2026-06-17	NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

Published

2024-03-20

By the CVE Program.

NVD record modified

2026-06-17

NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

How VRT decided (17 of 24 rules ran)

17 of 24 rules ran. The rest didn't run because an earlier rule had already settled the CVE.

# Rule Outcome Status Detail

identity: Does this identifier describe a vulnerability at all? the first rule that matches decides

1 rejected no match CVE Program withdrawal of this identifier

scope: Is it a vulnerability Waratek protects? the first rule that matches decides

2 armr-patch-file no match An ARMR patch file on disk for this CVE

3 armr-secure-rule-file no match An ARMR security-rule template on disk for this CVE

4 manual-classification no match A researcher's recorded decision for this specific CVE

5 manual classification no match Manual classification of this CVE in the legacy dataset

6 non-java-upstream no match A root cause in non-Java code: an OS kernel, a C library, or a bundled runtime

7 oracle-component no match The defect being in a component of a tracked product the agent does not reach: JavaFX, the Java SE installer, the JInitiator browser plug-in, the native WebLogic proxy plug-in, or a native part of Oracle Application Server or Collaboration Suite (HTTP Server, Web Cache, Internet Directory, mail and calendar servers). Oracle gives these no CPE of their own and names them only in the description.

8 java-client-side no match Oracle's own risk-matrix note saying the CVE is reached only through untrusted code in the Java sandbox (applets, Web Start) or only through a client installation of Java, so a server running its own trusted code is not exposed

9 osv-maven matched In scope Maven packages: org.geoserver:gs-platform, org.geoserver:gs-restconfig

10 cna-maven-package not reached An affected Maven artifact named by the CNA itself

11 known-cpe-product not reached An NVD CPE naming a product ARMR tracks

12 cna-cpe-product not reached A CPE the CNA published naming a tracked product. Oracle publishes these on advisory day, months before NVD.

13 oracle-advisory-family not reached A tracked product family named in Oracle's own risk matrix. CPE cannot carry a suite name, only a module.

14 cna-named-product not reached A tracked product named in words by the CVE's own CNA, on a record with no CPE yet. Apache and Eclipse publish these on advisory day, before NVD adds CPE data.

15 non-deployable-product not reached The only affected product being a sealed appliance image, where Java runs but no -javaagent can be attached

16 unmatched-product not reached No tracked product matched above, and none present at all

disposition: What do we do about one that is? every rule runs

17 patch-hint matched Mitigation candidate References include candidate fix URL (commit tier): https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver/commit/ca683170c669718cb6ad4c79e01b0451065e13b8

18 open-source-maven skipped The affected package being open source on Maven, so the fix can be read

19 poc-derivable skipped An indexed exploit clearing the evidence bar to reverse-engineer, where there is no source to read

20 no-exploit skipped Nothing to build a rule from yet: no published exploit, no CISA record of exploitation and no source-level change to read

21 secure-rule-match decided it matched Protected by Waratek Description mentions "path traversal" — mitigable by an ARMR path-traversal security rule (none of CWE-20, CWE-434 settles the class on its own).

22 exploited-no-fix-or-poc skipped Somebody exploiting this CVE (a CISA or VulnCheck KEV listing, or a CISA verdict of active exploitation), with no fix, source code or PoC to build a rule from

23 below-action-threshold skipped Medium or Low severity, no CISA or VulnCheck KEV listing, no PoC clearing the evidence bar, no CISA verdict, no Oracle advisory

24 no-exploit-published skipped Exploit code for this candidate, published in a reviewed catalogue or a GitHub repository with 5 or more stars, or in use per CISA or VulnCheck; not only a CISA verdict, a forecast, or nothing at all

Products the scope rules checked

The products this CVE's record names, and whether VRT tracks each one. The scope rules decided on these.

Vendor Product Tracked CPE Source

geoserver geoserver not tracked cpe:2.3:a:geoserver:geoserver:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

NVD ↗ · CVE.org ↗