OSGeo · GeoServer · OSGeo GeoServer Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference Vulnerability
Verdict
Patch first · actively exploited, reachable from the internet without credentials, and in the top 1% of CVEs by near-term exploitation probability
Added to CISA KEV 2025-12-11 · exploited in the wild for 290 days
CVSS 8.2 HIGH. The score is a summary; these three components are the part that decides whether something scanning the internet can use it.
| Attack vector | networkreachable over the network, with no local access needed |
|---|---|
| Privileges required | noneneeds no credentials at all |
| User interaction | nonecan be triggered with nobody interacting with the page or request |
| Base vector | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:L |
| Weakness | CWE-611 |
This describes the vulnerability. It says nothing about whether your systems run it.
EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.6052, which places it in the top 1% of all tracked CVEs. The percentile is the more useful half: 0.18 in absolute terms sounds low until you know most of the internet-facing software in the world scores under that.
| EPSS probability | 0.6052 |
|---|---|
| Percentile | 0.991 — top 1% |
| Added to KEV | 2025-12-11 |
|---|---|
| Days exploited | 290 |
| Federal remediation due | not set |
| Ransomware use | no known ransomware campaign use |
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
GeoServer is an open source server that allows users to share and edit geospatial data. From version 2.26.0 to before 2.26.2 and before 2.25.6, an XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability was identified. The application accepts XML input through a specific endpoint /geoserver/wms operation GetMap. However, this input is not sufficiently sanitized or restricted, allowing an attacker to define external entities within the XML request. This issue has been patched in GeoServer 2.25.6, GeoServer 2.26.3, and GeoServer 2.27.0.