CVE-2024-36404: GeoTools Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in evaluating XPath expressions

Severity: critical (CVSS 9.8 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 76.1% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: yes
Published: 2024-07-02 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-95

Description

GeoTools is an open source Java library that provides tools for geospatial data. Prior to versions 31.2, 30.4, and 29.6, Remote Code Execution (RCE) is possible if an application uses certain GeoTools functionality to evaluate XPath expressions supplied by user input. Versions 31.2, 30.4, and 29.6 contain a fix for this issue. As a workaround, GeoTools can operate with reduced functionality by removing the `gt-complex` jar from one's application. As an example of the impact, application schema `datastore` would not function without the ability to use XPath expressions to query complex content. Alternatively, one may utilize a drop-in replacement GeoTools jar from SourceForge for versions 31.1, 30.3, 30.2, 29.2, 28.2, 27.5, 27.4, 26.7, 26.4, 25.2, and 24.0. These jars are for download only and are not available from maven central, intended to quickly provide a fix to affected applications.

Affected products

geotools: before 29.6; from 30.0 before 30.4; from 31.0 before 31.2 — fixed in 29.6, 30.4, 31.2

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: geotools 29.6, 30.4, 31.2. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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