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GeoServer RCE due to improper control of generation of code in jai-ext`Jiffle` map algebra language

Critical severity GitHub Reviewed Published Jun 12, 2023 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Nov 11, 2023

Package

maven org.geoserver:gs-wfs (Maven)

Affected versions

< 2.18.6
>= 2.19.0, < 2.19.6
>= 2.20.0, < 2.20.4

Patched versions

2.18.6
2.19.6
2.20.4
maven org.geoserver:gs-wms (Maven)
< 2.18.6
>= 2.19.0, < 2.19.6
>= 2.20.0, < 2.20.4
2.18.6
2.19.6
2.20.4
maven org.geoserver:gs-wps (Maven)
< 2.18.6
>= 2.19.0, < 2.19.6
>= 2.20.0, < 2.20.4
2.18.6
2.19.6
2.20.4

Description

GeoServer 2, in some configurations, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via java.lang.Runtime.getRuntime().exec in wps:LiteralData within a wps:Execute request, as exploited in the wild in June 2023.

RCE in Jiffle

The Jiffle map algebra language, provided by jai-ext, allows efficiently execute map algebra over large images. A vulnerability CVE-2022-24816 has been recently found in Jiffle, that allows a Code Injection to be performed by properly crafting a Jiffle invocation.

In the case of GeoServer, the injection can be performed from a remote request.

Assessment

GeoTools includes the Jiffle language as part of the gt-process-raster-<version> module, applications using it should check whether it’s possible to provide a Jiffle script from remote, and if so, upgrade or remove the functionality (see also the GeoServer mitigation, below).

The issue is of particular interest for GeoServer users, as GeoServer embeds Jiffle in the base WAR package. Jiffle is available as a OGC function, for usage in SLD rendering transformations.

This allows for a Remote Code Execution in properly crafted OGC requests, as well as from the administration console, when editing SLD files.

Mitigations

In case you cannot upgrade at once, then the following mitigation is strongly recommended:

  1. Stop GeoServer
  2. Open the war file, get into WEB-INF/lib and remove the janino-<version>.jar
  3. Restart GeoServer.

This effectively removes the Jiffle ability to compile scripts in Java code, from any of the potential attack vectors (Janino is the library used to turn the Java code generated from the Jiffle script, into executable bytecode).

GeoServer should still work properly after the removal, but any attempt to use Jiffle will result in an exception.

References

Published by the National Vulnerability Database Jun 12, 2023
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Jun 12, 2023
Reviewed Sep 19, 2023
Last updated Nov 11, 2023

Severity

Critical

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS score

0.861%
(83rd percentile)

Weaknesses

No CWEs

CVE ID

CVE-2023-35042

GHSA ID

GHSA-59x6-g4jr-4hxc

Source code

Credits

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