Vulnerabilities in pkg:maven/org.geoserver.web/gs-web-sec-core

PACKAGE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-7qmg-grcp-qf25
Advisory Summary

CVE-2025-52465 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.2) geoserver has an arbitrary file vulnerability (CWE-73: External Control of File Name or Path) affecting Gs web app libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves geoserver has an arbitrary file write vulnerability in its master password dump page. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.27.3, 2.26.4.

1 Known Advisory Record(s)
Package Vulnerability Intelligence

pkg:maven/org.geoserver.web/gs-web-sec-core

1 Known Advisory Record(s)

Vulnerability advisories affecting package pkg:maven/org.geoserver.web/gs-web-sec-core. Select an advisory below to view technical details or fixes.

Advisory ID CVE / NVD Severity Summary
GHSA-7qmg-grcp-qf25 CVE-2025-52465 HIGH GeoServer has an arbitrary file write vulnerability in its Master Password Dump Page

CVE-2025-52465 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2025-52465
GHSA Identifier GHSA-7qmg-grcp-qf25
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.2
CWE Classification CWE-73: External Control of File Name or Path
Affected Product Gs web app
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.2

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required High (PR:H)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2025-52465

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Gs web app dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app fixed: 2.27.3
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.geoserver.web</groupId>
    <artifactId>gs-web-app</artifactId>
    <version>2.27.3</version>
</dependency>
org.geoserver.web:gs-web-sec-core fixed: 2.27.3
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.geoserver.web</groupId>
    <artifactId>gs-web-sec-core</artifactId>
    <version>2.27.3</version>
</dependency>
org.geoserver.web:gs-web-sec-core fixed: 2.26.4
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.geoserver.web</groupId>
    <artifactId>gs-web-sec-core</artifactId>
    <version>2.26.4</version>
</dependency>
org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app fixed: 2.26.4
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.geoserver.web</groupId>
    <artifactId>gs-web-app</artifactId>
    <version>2.26.4</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.geoserver.web

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2025-52465, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.geoserver.web

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Gs web app in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.27.3), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.geoserver.web command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-73: External Control of File Name or Path, where the product allows user input to control or influence paths or file names that are used in filesystem operations. In Gs web app, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

### Summary A vulnerability exists that allows an authenticated administrator with access to GeoServer's security system to pass arbitrary file names to the Master Password Dump web page and create files containing the master password in plaintext. The provided file name must be an absolute path to the target file, the target file can not already exist and all parent directories must already exist. ### Details When dumping the master password, GeoServer will use the provided file name with minimal validation as long as it is a java.io.File path. The only limitation is that the fix for a previous, unrelated vulnerability prevents relative path traversal here but absolute paths can be used to access arbitrary files. GeoServer does not enforce a maximum password length by default which allows an administrator to place malicious code into their password which could then be dumped into a JSP file. ### Impact #### Remote Code Execution (High severity) This vulnerability can lead to executing arbitrary code if GeoServer is deployed in an environment where an attacker can dynamically deploy and execute a JSP file. This is possible if the geoserver.war file is simply placed into the webapps directory of a default Tomcat installation. #### NTLM Hash Disclosure (Moderate severity) If GeoServer is deployed in a Windows operating system and the GeoServer administrator does not already have access to the Windows account running the GeoServer process, it may be possible for the administrator to make GeoServer trigger an outbound NTLM request to a remote, attacker-controlled server and gain access to the NTLM hash or user password for use in future attacks. #### Denial of Service (Low severity) This vulnerability allows writing a file to any location where the GeoServer process has write permissions which could still potentially cause some kind of denial of service. ### Mitigation GeoServer installations where the web interface is either disabled or completely removed are not affected since the vulnerability exists in one of the web pages. ### Resources https://osgeo-org.atlassian.net/browse/GEOS-11852 https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver/pull/8584

CVE-2025-52465 Affected Gs web app Versions

4 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.27.32.26.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app
Maven
≥ 2.27.0
< 2.27.3
2.27.3
org.geoserver.web:gs-web-sec-core
Maven
≥ 2.27.0
< 2.27.3
2.27.3
org.geoserver.web:gs-web-sec-core
Maven
< 2.26.4
2.26.4
org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app
Maven
< 2.26.4
2.26.4

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-52465?
CVE-2025-52465 is a security vulnerability in Gs web app involving GeoServer has an arbitrary file write vulnerability in its Master Password Dump Page under CWE-73: External Control of File Name or Path.
Which Gs web app versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.27.3, 2.26.4 across affected packages: org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app, org.geoserver.web:gs-web-sec-core.
What version fixes CVE-2025-52465?
Upgrading to 2.27.3, 2.26.4 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is gs-web-app affected?
Yes, org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app is affected in releases prior to 2.27.3, 2.26.4. Upgrade your dependency to 2.27.3, 2.26.4 or later.
Is gs-web-sec-core affected?
Yes, org.geoserver.web:gs-web-sec-core is affected in releases prior to 2.27.3, 2.26.4. Upgrade your dependency to 2.27.3, 2.26.4 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2025-52465?
CVE-2025-52465 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.2 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2025-52465?
CVE-2025-52465 is classified under CWE-73: External Control of File Name or Path (The product allows user input to control or influence paths or file names that are used in filesystem operations.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2025-52465?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.geoserver.web'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-7qmg-grcp-qf25",
  "modified" : "2026-07-15T21:49:58Z",
  "published" : "2026-06-12T18:23:28Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2025-52465" ],
  "summary" : "GeoServer has an arbitrary file write vulnerability in its Master Password Dump Page",
  "details" : "### Summary\nA vulnerability exists that allows an authenticated administrator with access to GeoServer's security system to pass arbitrary file names to the Master Password Dump web page and create files containing the master password in plaintext. The provided file name must be an absolute path to the target file, the target file can not already exist and all parent directories must already exist.\n\n### Details\nWhen dumping the master password, GeoServer will use the provided file name with minimal validation as long as it is a java.io.File path. The only limitation is that the fix for a previous, unrelated vulnerability prevents relative path traversal here but absolute paths can be used to access arbitrary files. GeoServer does not enforce a maximum password length by default which allows an administrator to place malicious code into their password which could then be dumped into a JSP file.\n\n### Impact\n#### Remote Code Execution (High severity)\nThis vulnerability can lead to executing arbitrary code if GeoServer is deployed in an environment where an attacker can dynamically deploy and execute a JSP file. This is possible if the geoserver.war file is simply placed into the webapps directory of a default Tomcat installation.\n\n#### NTLM Hash Disclosure (Moderate severity)\nIf GeoServer is deployed in a Windows operating system and the GeoServer administrator does not already have access to the Windows account running the GeoServer process, it may be possible for the administrator to make GeoServer trigger an outbound NTLM request to a remote, attacker-controlled server and gain access to the NTLM hash or user password for use in future attacks.\n\n#### Denial of Service (Low severity)\nThis vulnerability allows writing a file to any location where the GeoServer process has write permissions which could still potentially cause some kind of denial of service.\n\n### Mitigation\nGeoServer installations where the web interface is either disabled or completely removed are not affected since the vulnerability exists in one of the web pages.\n\n### Resources\nhttps://osgeo-org.atlassian.net/browse/GEOS-11852\nhttps://github.com/geoserver/geoserver/pull/8584",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.27.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.27.3"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2.27.2"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.geoserver.web:gs-web-sec-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.27.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.27.3"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2.27.2"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.geoserver.web:gs-web-sec-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.26.4"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2.26.3"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.26.4"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2.26.3"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver/security/advisories/GHSA-7qmg-grcp-qf25"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-52465"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver/pull/8584"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://osgeo-org.atlassian.net/browse/GEOS-11852"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://research.checkpoint.com/2025/cve-2025-24054-ntlm-exploit-in-the-wild"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-73" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-06-12T18:23:28Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-06-18T16:16:52Z"
  }
}